No Danger Allowed
by foxchicka19
Summary: When Robin discovers that she's pregnant, she's quick to tell Zoro and the crew. Now faced with how to handle the situation, everyone's unsure of what to do. Does she hold everyone back from their dreams, or let them charge forward, with or without her?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Here it is! My simultaneous multi-chapter story that everyone voted for to be writte_n! [insert crowd cheers]_.

Because it is simultaneous, this story will be updated every other day (alternating with "_Down Under_"). But because it's nearing the end of the school year, if I don't exactly update every other day, bear with me, please :P I'm in academic classes, so I should probably put a little time and effort into them -especially towards the end of the semester :P Ahhhh... procrastination at its finest...

It's not the longest chapter I've written, and admittedly I could have dragged some of the scenes out, as few as they are, but I kind of just want to leap into the pregnancy part... I mean, 36 weeks of Robin preggo-ness. This stories going to be long enough as it is :P

This probably isn't the best title, but fitting, nonetheless, and it has my signature "No" at the beginning of the title, signaling the ZoRo-ness of it all... though most of you probably haven't noticed ;)

Oh! I should probably mention that this follows my "series" of One Piece Fanfiction stories. Coming some time after Harumi (my OC from "_No Sense of Direction_") arrives on the ship, Harumi is still aboard. The facts I speak of about her have been planned ever since her creation :) Some things may not have been completely noticeable during her appearance in "_NSOD_", if you'd go back and look, you'd see the slight, slight hints given away... I don't know how far ahead this story will be from where I left off in my series, so an actual time line isn't given. A couple of months, weeks? I don't know. Months sounds more realistic to me... Oh well. Maybe I'll decide later.

Well, I suppose the only thing left to say is:

Enjoy~!

:D

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><p><strong>No Danger Allowed<strong>

I don't know when it started; the tenderness of my breasts; the fatigue that came easily, without major exertion; the headaches; the slight nausea that came with the gentle rocking of the boat. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back… and forth. Sometimes breathing deeply didn't help. Sometimes lying down didn't help. I could still feel the motion of the boat.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back… and… forth…

I didn't tell anyone at first. It wasn't severe nausea. I could handle it. Or so I thought –until I found myself throwing up over the edge of the ship. Immediately it raised everyone's concern. Especially Zoro's. After emptying the contents of my stomach, he had taken me to the women's quarters. Chopper gave me a quick examination, and everyone just chalked it up to something not settling well in my stomach.

I wondered if Nami and Harumi heard though, the following mornings, when I threw up in the bathroom.

By the time the third day of sickness came along, I had an idea of what was going on with me.

* * *

><p>I pushed my food around on the plate, hardly nibbling, and then looked around the table. Everyone was so cheerful. I couldn't help but smile. Even Harumi was having a good time.<p>

Harumi… she had come such a long way since boarding the ship. When she wasn't putting on a façade, she had an intense fear of men. Harumi's identity to the world was the _Masked Bartender_. Under that name she poisoned Marines –but it was only when she was in disguise that her fear of men was stifled –though never completely. There were moments when she flinched and cowered away, even in her charade. But the weeks she had spent on the ship had helped her grow a great deal, though she still flinched when one of the guys moved just a bit too quickly.

But she could touch them willingly now… for the most part, anyway.

"Are you alright?" Zoro asked, leaning over to whisper in my ear. Not like he needed to whisper. Over the noise of Luffy, Usopp, Brooke and Chopper, I doubted anyone could hear him at a normal tone.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"You hardly touched your food," he said, looking down at my plate.

"Is it not to your likings, Robin-chwan?" Sanji said, catching sight of Zoro's action.

"It's delicious. I'm just not hungry right now."

"Not hungry?" Nami murmured.

"I'll eat it!" Luffy said, stretching his arm over.

"No –" Zoro began, but Sanji interrupted him.

"You will not!" Sanji jumped up, kicking Luffy's hand away. He turned back to me, "I'll put it in the fridge until you are hungry."

"Thank you, Sanji."

"Do you need to lie down again?" Zoro asked me.

"I'm fine," I told him. I got to my feet, squeezing his shoulder gently, and then said, "I'm going to go find a book to read."

Chopper looked at me, and I smiled sweetly. He told me he would give me a thorough examination after lunch. But I didn't want the entire crew to know, so we were keeping it a secret for now. I strolled to the door, went to my room and grabbed a book, then snuck around to the infirmary, waiting patiently for Chopper to come along.

* * *

><p>Back… and forth…<p>

Back… and forth…

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, sitting on the lawn deck in a chair beside Nami. She read her own book silently. Once in a while she would frown, or smile, her eyes never straying from the pages of the novel in her hand. Luffy kept on glancing over at her. It was cute.

"Feeling okay?" Nami asked, flipping the page and glancing over at me.

"Mm," I told her.

"Not getting nauseous?" she pressed on.

"So you know."

"It's not hard to guess," she murmured, looking around to make sure we were without the presence of any listening ears. "Chopper confirmed it?"

"Mm."

"When are you going to tell Zoro?" she asked.

"Later today," I opened my eyes and looked at her. "I have nothing to hide from him. And we've discussed the idea before. He wants me to tell him."

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"What do you think you're going to do?" Nami closed her book, setting it down on her lap and twisting her entire body to face me.

"After I tell Zoro, I'll discuss it with the crew," I shrugged.

"It'll be dangerous to stay on the ship," she said.

"I know."

"So what will you do?"

"Like I said, I don't know yet."

"You'll have to figure it out fast, before you start showing."

"I know."

"As long as you know," she sighed.

Silence fell between us.

"Thank you," I told her after a moment, "For your concern. It means a lot to me."

"If you… if you decide to get off the ship… I'll stay with you," she said, looking down at the book in her lap and lightly stroking the pages.

"Then who would lead Luffy to the end of the Grand Line? To One Piece?" I chuckled.

"They could wait," she murmured. "I'm sure Luffy will agree –if we're going to go after One Piece, it's all of us or none of us."

"We'll see," I smiled.

Zoro came out of the men's quarters across from us. He looked at me, and I smiled wider at our silent exchange. Then he went to climb up to the crow's nest. I watched him climb up the ropes, then grab the ladder and disappear up there. I stood up.

"Now?" Nami looked surprised.

"The sooner the better," I told her.

"I suppose."

Her smile told me that she would wait until much later if she were in my position. But that wasn't the relationship Zoro and I had. So I climbed up after him into the crow's nest. And I realized I had lied to her. I _was_ nervous. And I was nervous because I knew it _was_ dangerous.

As I reached the ladder, a hand appeared in front of my face. I followed it up to Zoro's face, and then I grabbed his hand and let him pull me up. As my feet steadied on the floor, I gave Zoro a quick kiss, then walked to the bench and sat down.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, moving slowly towards me.

"Is that going to be the first thing you ask me every time we spend a moment together?" I chuckled.

"Sorry," he murmured, sitting beside me.

"It's fine," I told him. I looked out the window. "I know it's because you're worried."

"Well, when you threw up, I was taken by surprise," he said. I reached between us and took his hand in mine. "And you've looked noticeably more pale and tired ever since."

"There's a reason for that," I said.

"Are you sick?"

"No. Just pregnant."

Silence. I looked at him. His face was impassive, except for the redness in his ears.

"Pregnant?" he repeated in disbelief.

"Pregnant," I confirmed, looking down at my stomach, almost like as if saying it aloud would make my stomach grow rapidly.

Zoro brought my hand to his lips, and I looked at him.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, it's dangerous to be pregnant on a pirate ship. It's dangerous to have a baby aboard. It's dangerous to live in a random town or island. I mean, I can hide it for a little while, but nonetheless… So what do you think we should do?"

"I'll protect you," he said, kissing my hand, and then leaned in to kiss my lips. "Whether you want to stay on the ship, or find an island to settle down on, I'll protect you."

"I know," I shut my eyes and leaned into him. He slid his arm around me. "But I don't want you to put your dreams on hold."

"I wouldn't be putting my dreams on hold," he nestled his head into my hair, wrapping me up in a warm embrace. "I'd be living another one of my dreams first, that's all."

Before I knew what was happening, there were tears in my eyes. Relief. Happiness. I wasn't sure what the tears were for. When Zoro realized I was crying, he pulled away, framing my face and wiping the tears with his thumbs. Then he kissed my forehead and rested his there.

"We'll figure something out together. We'll talk to the crew. And then we'll decide what we think will be best for the three of us," Zoro said, closing his eyes.

"Did I mention I love you?" I wrapped my arms around his waist and wiping my eyes on his shirt. I'd wash it later anyway.

"You don't have to say it for me to know," he told me. "And I love you, too. And I'll definitely protect you. And when the baby is born, I'll protect him or her. And –"

"I know," I told him, closing my eyes, relief washing over my with every new word he spoke. I knew it was going to be this way.

But hypothetical situations usually vary from the real deal. And that's what I feared most.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This would have totally been up yesterday, but with the long one-shot done for Luffy's birthday, I only managed to write half of it last night. But I finished it today, and now I'm off to go and start writing the next chapter for Down Under :P

I enjoyed writing this chapter. I love any surge of emotion, really. :P And believe me, this has a lot of emotion in it.

And it's friday~~~~

That fact alone makes me happy :)

Well, like with every other chapter and story - I hope you enjoy :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

I didn't know where to look. They were all staring at me, dumbfounded. Astonished. Astounded. Flabbergasted. Whichever word chosen, it didn't ease the suddenly tense atmosphere after telling them that I was, indeed, pregnant. Chopper even confirmed it for all of them. He, Nami and Zoro were the only ones that didn't have their jaws on the floor. Nami held my one hand, while Zoro held the other. My knuckled were white –that was how tightly I was clutching to their support. The last time I had felt like this was at Enies Lobby. No. This was similar, but not the same.

"Congratulations," Franky finally managed to get out of his mouth.

"Yohoho! This is wonderful!" Brooke exclaimed. "This calls for a party!"

"No alcohol for the pregnant though," Harumi smiled warmly at me from Nami's other side. Nami, too, was smiling now. She let out a breath –relieved.

"Pregnant," Usopp murmured. "If it's a boy, name it after me!"

"No." Everybody said in unison.

"It's Marimo's?" Sanji verified.

"Well, it surely isn't yours," Nami snorted.

Sanji opened his mouth, and then shut it. He bowed his head for a moment, then looked up at me and said, "Well, I guess I'll have to make sure you have a balanced nutrition."

"Thank you, Sanji," I said tears welling up in my eyes. Zoro gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I wondered if he or Nami could feel their fingers. I tried to loosen my grip, but the person whose opinion mattered most on this ship still hadn't said a single word. Not that I thought he'd banish me or anything.

Nami noticed my angst, and leaned across the table to touch Luffy's arm. "Luffy?"

"Hmm?" he looked up and around at the table. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" she asked.

"I was thinking –" everyone gasped "–about how much this ship will change if there's a baby aboard."

My grip tightened.

"Could you _imagine_ all the fun we could have?" Luffy laughed suddenly. "I've never held a baby before. Nami we should –"

"Robin, don't cry," Harumi said, reaching around Nami to comfort me.

"I'm… I'm sorry," I chortled. I took a deep shaky breath of air and wiped my eyes. "It must be the unbalanced hormones. I'm just so happy right now. So relieved."

"What? Did you think we were going to throw you overboard?" Franky laughed. "We'd never do that, Robin. We all love you –"

"Oi!" Zoro interrupted.

"–as friends, and care for you dearly, right guys?"

"Mm," everybody agreed.

"Brooke's right, we should celebrate," Luffy said, standing up abruptly, scaring Harumi. He apologized to her out of reflex, "Sorry. Sanji! Food! Brooke! Music! Nami! Kiss!"

Everybody laughed, except for Nami who smacked him over the head. I laughed, swiping away the tears once more. It was so weird. Just yesterday I was able to keep a calm head. And now… now I was a mess.

I took another calming breath, releasing Nami's hand and bringing Zoro's to my lips, kissing it gently as I looked at him. I held it to my cheek, feeding off the warmth.

"We'll start doing weekly checkups," Chopper told me. "To make sure the baby's developing properly.

"I hope it's a girl," Harumi said.

"No, it has to be a boy," Nami said. "When Luffy and I have a girl, I want them to fall in love."

"Eh? Nami's pregnant too?" Chopper asked.

"No!" Nami brought her fist down on his head.

"Shishishi."

"Hahaha,"

"Yohoho!"

The atmosphere settled into a peaceful one. I eased up, and leaned into Zoro. The best feeling in the world was relief; that moment when weights were lifted off shoulders and chest; that moment where you didn't feel constricted and could breathe again.

I smiled, closing my eyes. When I opened them, I was looking down at my lap. I inhaled. I exhaled.

Then I ran out of the room to throw up over the railing.

* * *

><p>"She's still sleeping?"<p>

"Surprising, isn't it? I think this is the first time I've ever seen her sleep to late." That last voice was definitely Nami's. Which meant the first voice was Harumi's. "Not like it's a big surprise. All of us were up late into the night."

Wait… late?

I forced my eyes open and looked at the clock on the wall. Ten in the morning. I sat up as Nami closed the door behind the two of them, unaware that I was now awake. Usually I was up hours ago. But even having slept this late, I found myself exhausted, and my back ached like I had slept in an awkward position. Crossing my arms in front of me, I produced extra hands to help me stretch out my back, cracking it gently and relieving me of the subtle pain. Then I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and got up. I changed, used the washroom and then exited onto the deck.

Zoro paused on the stairs momentarily before continuing his climb up to me. "I was just coming to check up on you. Feeling alright?"

"Just a little more tired that usual," I told him. He kissed the side of my head, then began walking me down the stairs.

"You could've slept a little longer," he told me.

Across the ship, Sanji walked out of the kitchen and quickly spotted us –which I supposed was only natural, since we stood straight across from him. He opened his mouth to shout at Zoro –probably upset with how close Zoro stood to me –but Nami and Harumi grabbed both of his arms and dragged him back into the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I told Zoro, squeezing his hands gently. "Thank you."

"Are you hungry?" he asked, leading me back down the stairs.

"Starving," I admitted.

"That's natural," he settled his hand on my back, rubbing small circles there.

"Because I'm pregnant or because I missed breakfast?" I asked, looking at him.

"Both," he cracked a small grin, his grip tightening around mine. When I walked into the dining hall, Sanji was setting out my plate, reheated and steaming. It looked delicious. Zoro sat across from me, watching as I picked up the fork and began poking around at the dish.

After a moment, Sanji threw down his cooking utensil into the sink and strode out the door. Harumi and Nami exchanged a look, and Harumi followed him out. Out of all the guys, she had warmed up to him the most –which was understandable, because Sanji would _never_ hit a girl. And Harumi had witnessed that that despite being the only girl he would raise his voice at, if he wouldn't touch an enemy that was a girl, surely he would hit an ally –and even more so, a nakama.

"I thought you liked carrots," Zoro said after a moment, watching as I spat the orange vegetable into a napkin.

"I do," I said, despite pushing them to the side of the plate.

"So why'd you spit it out?"

"The baby's going to be a picky eater," Nami said, coming over and scooping the carrots up into another plate. She set them in front of Zoro and sat down.

"I'll make him eat his vegetables," Zoro muttered.

"Or her," I smiled.

Nami threw back her head and laughed, "You'll be a great father, Zoro."

I watched as his ears went red, chuckling softly.

The door opened, Franky entered.

"Zoro, Nami, can I speak to you?"

I started to get up, but Franky waved me down, "You can finish eating, Robin. You need your nutrition, right? This will only take a moment."

Nami exchanged a look with me as she got up.

"It's fine," I said, picking up my fork once more. "Go on. I'll be here when you get back."

I said that, but I put an eye on Nami's back until they went to the front of the ship where everyone else was standing. Using the eye, I found a hidden area to place an ear and another eye, where I could get a bird's visual of what was happening on deck. And with that I listened into the conversation.

"It's dangerous," Franky said. I let the fork slide out of my hands, gently falling onto the table, but it hit the edge and fell to the floor. I reached down to grab it. "Not only her being pregnant, but after she has the baby, too."

"What are you talking about?" Zoro growled.

"I don't think Robin should stay on the ship while she's pregnant."

"I'll protect her," Zoro said, speaking roughly.

"There are instances when we can't protect everyone as it is –if we could all protect each other, none of us would ever get hurt."

"We get hurt because we don't _try_ to protect each other –we know everyone can handle themselves and would feel useless if they couldn't fight and win their own battles," Zoro said. I covered my mouth with my hand, feeling sick.

"Shouldn't we be discussing this with Robin here?" Nami clenched her fist. Harumi was just nodding.

"We need to face her with a decision that isn't faltering," Franky said.

"I agree," Usopp said, looking down. "It's dangerous enough as it is. I mean, it wasn't so long ago that the Marine's caught up to us."

"I'll protect her," Zoro said firmly.

"Zoro, you can't protect her all the time –you're always running off during battle. How many times have you left Nami to fend for herself in the midst of a fight?" Franky asked.

"That's not relevant," Nami interjected.

"I. Will. Protect. Her." Zoro said, grabbing the front of Franky's shirt. Harumi took a step back.

"I'm with Franky on this one," Sanji said, pushing off from the railing and approaching the two. "I love Robin-chwan, and she belongs on Thousand Sunny with us, but this we're in the final stretch of the Grand Line. It's not right for her to be with us."

"It's dangerous!" Franky said. I closed my eyes, not liking what I was hearing. I should really give up eavesdropping.

"Too dangerous!" Usopp agreed.

"If she gets injured, I'll make her better!" Chopper said.

"I'll protect her so she doesn't get hurt in the first place," Zoro threw Franky back with one hand. Franky's body produced extra arms, grabbing something to keep from going through the railing.

"Zoro, calm down," Brooke said, stepping forward.

"Zoro, stop, Robin wouldn't want you to act this way," Nami said, placing her hand on his arm.

He pulled his arm away. "If Robin you guys make Robin leave, then I'm leaving with her."

Nami squared her shoulders, "Me too."

"Zoro, we –"

"Nami-swan, don't –"

"She has her dreams to follow," Zoro said, clenching his fist. If he didn't know about the ship's ability to have a soul, I was sure he would punch the mast or something just as violent. "And one of her dreams is to live on this ship with all of us until all of our dreams come true."

Silence.

"Luffy, say something," Nami said, turning to him.

"All this thinking is making my head hurt," Luffy leaned forward, scratching his head. "I don't want everyone to split up…" he frowned deeply. "But being in the Grand Line will cause a lot of problems… But I don't want to reach the end of the Grand Line without any of you."

"So it's settled, Robin's staying," Zoro said, crossing his arms.

"But it's dangerous!" Sanji and Franky shouted, making Harumi flinch and stumble back.

Probably without realizing what he was doing, Zoro put a hand out to steady her, then let go and grabbed Sanji by the shoulder, "Whose side are you on? If you loved her like you always say you do, you'd want her not to give up her dream!"

"It's because I love her that I want her to be safe!" Sanji growled back at him, throwing his hand back. "Do you want her to risk her life –and the child's?"

I stood up and walked to the door. Each footstep felt heavier than the last. Did I really want to face them all? I knew what they were saying. I knew it. They were being protective of me. They were trying to decide what was for the better. But it hurt. And I wanted them to be able to say all these things to my face.

I pulled the door open silently, stepping out into the cool air and going to the stairs. Not one of them realized I was approaching.

"Robin's not leaving," Luffy said, getting off the step leading up to the figurehead and stepping forward. Nami closed her eyes, let out a breath, and smiled up at him. I reached the bottom of the steps, but I didn't stop there. I kept walking. I couldn't see them from this angle. Luffy continued, "We'll leave the Grand Line if it gets too dangerous, but Robin's staying with us."

"But what about after she has the baby?" Franky asked. "Being pregnant and running around will be bad enough, but it'll be even harder with a child."

"We've had children on board before," Zoro muttered. I reached the stair that led up to the second deck.

"Children have the tendency to wander," Sanji nodded.

"Do you want us to just abandon our child somewhere?" Zoro lifted Sanji into the air.

"I was raised away from my dad and mom," Luffy interjected.

"You don't even know your father," Zoro snapped at him.

"I know who my father is."

"But do you know him the same way you know your grandfather?"

Luffy grew silent.

"I don't want my kid to not look at Robin and me without seeing us as real parents. And when that child is born, I don't want to miss a single day that he grows. And I know Robin doesn't want that child to feel the way she did when she was younger."

I gripped the rail and stumbled. I moved so that I was sitting on one of the steps, and bit down on my hand to suppress a sob. It didn't matter. Zoro knew I was there now. He gave them all a harsh stare before turning and walking towards me. Nami was the first to catch on, looking up and immediately spotting the ear. I wished I could hide, but at the same time I wanted Zoro's arms around me. I stood up, and met him halfway up the second set of stairs, and he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest.

"Robin –" Franky began. Despite yesterday, I think they were all surprised to see me so emotional.

"Unless you're apologizing, don't say anything," Nami told him firmly.

"Robin," Luffy said, stepping forward. I peered over the top of Zoro's shoulder. Everyone parted to let him through. "You're staying, right?"

"Of course she's staying," Zoro muttered, embracing me tighter.

Luffy ignored him. "Robin, you're staying, right?"

"Can I?"

"It's your choice," Luffy said, meeting my gaze across the distance, "Though I don't want you to leave."

I laughed, tears flowing wildly down my cheeks and onto Zoro's shirt, where they made a wet stain that slowly grew bigger.

"You're staying, right?"

I paused a moment before nodding.

"Then it's settled," Luffy looked at everyone. "She's staying."

Unable to say anything against the captain's decision, everyone just silently nodded.

Nami followed Luffy as he walked towards me. His serious face gave way to a grin.

"Shishishi –besides, it's pointless to reach our goals when everyone isn't there to share our joy. A year from now, five years from now, ten years from now –no matter how long it takes, I _will_ become Pirate King." Nami smiled widely behind him.

I smiled –the action awkward with the stiffness of my tear-covered face. Zoro kissed my forehead, rubbing my back gently.

"Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This would have been updated yesterday -had this site WANTED me to even upload. But I found a way around that dilemma, which should be obvious, because I am indeed updating :)

Honestly, it was frustrating. I was up until one last night to finish it, stayed up til one thirty trying to repeatedly update it -but it wouldn't let me. Went to sleep, woke up, tried again, didn't work, went to school, got home, started replying to reviews as per usual, and VOILA! It hit me. I just replaced the content of a chapter previously uploaded! To me, that was sheer brilliance :) So, if any of you are experiencing the same difficulty, there you go! :P

So here's the chapter I promised yesterday in "Of Dreams, Clouds and Mikans", though through technical difficulties I was unable to follow through with.

Enjoy~! :)

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 3<span>**

"It was nice of Franky to offer to watch over the ship today," I said slowly, looking over at Zoro as we walked through the town.

"Mm," he said, looking straight ahead.

"You're still angry."

"Of course I am," Zoro said.

"He already apologized," I reminded him.

"The point was that he was against you staying with us on the ship in the first place," Zoro muttered.

"It's fine isn't it? I'm staying," I reached between us and squeezed his hand before letting go. He was quick to chase it down and hold it gently, his finger intertwining with mine. I smiled.

He was silent for a moment as we neared the edge of the town. We kept walking though, past the wall that signified the end.

"When he said that," Zoro began, but he stopped.

"Go on," I urged gently.

"When Franky said that, it took everything in my power not to tear him to shreds. And I know I shouldn't think that way of a nakama. But the idea of you leaving the ship…"

"Zoro," I said, but he turned away, his ears red with embarrassment. "Zoro, look at me."

I pulled him to a stop and let go of his hand, bringing my hands to his face and making him look me in the eye.

"They were just trying to decide what was for the better," I said. "It's understandable, isn't it? It'd be the same if it were Nami that was pregnant."

"Luffy would protect Nami," Zoro said simply.

I smiled with how much faith he had in our captain. "Mm. He would, but the danger is always there. But the fear is still there with 'what if'."

"No one would say anything though, because Luffy's captain. If he wanted Nami by his side, then Nami would be by his side, no questions asked. But when they question it…"

I didn't have to tell him to go on, because after his voice trailed off he picked up again, though his eyes fell, not meeting my gaze.

"Isn't it kind of like saying that I'm not capable?"

"Zoro, I know better than anyone that you are _very_ capable," I joked.

"I'm being serious here," he pulled his head away from my hands and looked away, out into the forest.

"So am I," Well, for the most part. "If I didn't trust you with my life, where would I be now?"

"With Nami?" he shrugged, not knowing.

It didn't matter where I would be though, what mattered was that I was there –beside him. "And where am I now?"

"Here," he looked back at me.

"I trust you. And despite what happened back there, the crew trusts you, and they rely on you and your loyalty, and how you don't give up no matter how many times you get knocked down. They might not trust your sense of direction, but –"

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why don't they trust my sense of direction?"

I smiled, but rather than put him down I said, "It's a mystery, I know."

He scowled.

"The point I'm trying to make, Zoro," I put my hand on his shoulder as I kissed his cheek, "Is that it's not a matter of how capable you are, but that we can't predict the future. Even Luffy loses battles, and gets so injured he can barely move. But you know that better than anyone, don't you?"

"You –" he began, but stopped, shaking his head, before he barked out a laugh, picking me up off the ground. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he shifted his hold from underneath my arms to under my ass, though not in a suggestive manor. "Of course you knew. You always know. Are you going to teach our child to eavesdrop too?"

"I'll leave that to Nami," I said.

"To Nami?" he questioned.

"She does quite the job of it," I chuckled.

"She's here," he said, coming to an understanding and setting me back down on my feet.

"I'm here," Nami sighed, coming out from behind a tree. "I saw you both leaving town and followed."

"And what would you do if we came out here to have –"

"_Obviously_ I wouldn't have stayed," she said before I could finish. "But I'm glad you weren't."

I chuckled.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I told her, looking up at Zoro. "I think we both are now."

"That's good," she smiled. She walked to a different tree slowly, her hand going out to touch its bark before she looked over at us and said, "I'm glad that you're staying."

"Me too," I said, the corners of my lips lifting up. "I'd hate for you to give up your dream for me."

"What?" Zoro looked down at me.

"If I were to stay at an island, Nami offered to stay with me," I said. "She said it right after you did during the argument. But she also said it before that as well."

"She knew before I did?"

"Women's intuition," Nami said, tapping the side of her head with a grin.

"You were eavesdropping then too, weren't you?" I said.

"Maybe. And the constant throwing up was a big hint too."

"The kid's definitely going to need to take lessons from her," Zoro said, kissing the side of my head. Nami always looked surprised when he showed public affection, even though she had known for the longest time now about the two of us. But she smiled, and Zoro looked over at Nami, "Thank you."

"Robin's my best friend," Nami shrugged. "And I'm sure she'd do the same for me if it were the other way around."

"Mm," I agreed.

Nami was silent again, "So, Franky did something, to make up for all that's happened."

"Oh?" I exchanged a look with Zoro, not having any idea of what it could be.

"It's back on the ship," she said.

"Is it done?" I questioned.

"That was part of the reason I'd followed you," Nami laughed. "Otherwise I would have let the two of you go off by yourselves."

"You couldn't have waited until we came back?" Zoro asked.

"No," Nami said simply.

He sighed, taking my hand in his, "Well, then let's go –"

"This way," Nami said pointing.

"I knew that."

"I'm sure you did," Nami rolled her eyes before grinning at me.

"I did."

"Never said you didn't," Nami fell into step on the other side of me. "So have you thought of names?"

"We just learned that I was pregnant less than a day ago," I chuckled.

"So?"

"Whatever the names, we're not letting you choose them," Zoro said.

"What if it's a girl?" Nami ignored him.

"Let's wait until you can actually tell that I'm pregnant before we start trying to give the baby a name," I told her.

"So you don't have any ideas at all?" She scoffed.

"Even if I did have ideas in mind, I might not choose any of them once the baby is actually born," I said as we entered the town.

"So what did Franky do?" Zoro interjected before Nami could go on.

"You'll see," She grinned. "I think you'll like it. You'll be happy. Oh, and Chopper went crazy with buying medical books on pregnancy."

"Is that so," I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mm," She said. "I'll read them too, so that I can be of help. There are also a few books you should read."

"I'll probably read them all," I told her.

"I know," she said. "And right now I think he's talking to the doctor in this town."

"And Harumi's in disguise again," I said, catching a glimpse of her as we walked past a bar with its doors propped open. It was hot, and they wanted the breeze to sweep through the building.

"I'll go get her," Nami sighed, falling back immediately. "I told her she has to stop doing this."

"Does this mean she's spotted a Marine?" Zoro asked as Nami entered the bar.

"No, she's probably just trying to find a little peace aside from the argument this morning. You haven't noticed that in the month she's been with us that every time we've gotten into fights with other pirates and each other she puts on her disguise?"

"She does?"

I laughed, "Mm. She does."

"I didn't notice."

"Well, now you know."

We arrived at the ship, Nami and Harumi hurrying to catch up behind us. Luffy stretched his arm down to help me up, and I placed my hand in his as he pulled me up. Zoro climbed aboard, nodding at Luffy as he took my hand in his once more.

"So where's this surprise?" he asked, looking around.

"A new door," I pointed to the second level, on the opposite side of the stairs from the door that led to the women's quarters. Immediately I knew what was on the other side; a room just for Zoro and me.

"Go and look," Nami said, pushing the two of us forward a bit.

We crossed the ship and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Franky and Usopp shouted from inside. I smiled, and glanced at Zoro. Franky continued before we said anything, "We realized that simply apologizing might not be good enough for a guy like Zoro, and we all know that you have the tendency to spend the night up in the crow's nest, Robin, so we decided to make it up by providing you both a better place to sleep."

The room basically consisted of a bed and a bookshelf, as well as some of Zoro's training equipment and a closet. Though basic, it was nice. I liked it a lot. And Zoro seemed to be happy with it. He went to the bed and tested it out.

"What do you think?" Franky asked him.

Silence.

"Zoro?"

Silence.

A loud snore sounded through the room.

"He –"

"–fell asleep," Usopp finished for Franky.

"Consider yourselves forgiven," Nami said, pushing the two of them out of there. I walked over to Zoro, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. I'd have to cut it some time soon. I trailed my fingers down his cheek, then down his arm until my fingers brushed against his palm. His fingers wrapped around mind, giving them a quick squeeze. I smiled.

Brooke and Chopper arrived about then, and Brooke laughed, "Yohoho! This is good! The quarrel this morning had nearly broken my heart!"

"But you don't have a heart!" Chopper said.

"That's not funny," Brooke said. "I have feelings too."

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed.

"You know, Sanji didn't want me to build this room," Franky said to Nami as he left the room. "He said it was like giving them position to get it on at any time they wanted."

"Isn't it?" Usopp laughed.

"Only if you put a lock on the door," Brooke said.

"That can be arranged," Franky grinned.

"Just let them be," Nami sighed.

I sat down beside Zoro as Luffy pulled the door closed behind him.

"This is nice," I said, looking around the room again.

"Mm," Zoro agreed. "Now I can protect you day and night. And the bench of the crow's nest is uncomfortable in the long run."

There was a door, which I guessed led to a toilet. I chuckled to myself –my own private bathroom to throw up in.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry for the delayed update :P While I did write a little over the weekend, I just wasn't in the mood to finish a , at least not on Sunday -Saturday I was busy with hanging with my friend and a few other people for her birthday. I probably won't be updating a lot this week at all -as well as homework, I have my own novels I want to crack down at, and read... I haven't had the chance to read a good book in a long time...but I'm always buying books that I want to read. I'm an avid reader :P So I definitely want to put a dent into that shelf of unread books.

I really wish there were more hours in a day :P

Oh! And if you don't already know, I've started a collection of -are you ready for this - BROOKE-SHOTS! XD Oh, how exciting! I was really happy with how the first shot turned out. Brooke really is a character that gets pushed off to the side in fanfiction :P

Yeah, so I guess... a week break? With response to reviews and maybe a chapter in the mix? Not like you have any choice but to agree -(cue evil laugh).

I feel bad though, since I'm in the middle of two stories... well, I think you guys can wait :P I'm usually good for updating. And that chapter in the mix will more than likely come... if not to this story, then another :P

Well, enjoy~!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

I opened my eyes, not surprised to see Zoro's sleeping face. I propped myself up on one arm, looking down at his face. His arm lay over my waist, his face turning slightly into the pillow. His eyebrows were furrowed together, but then they'd relax and he'd mutter something inaudible under his breath.

I kissed his cheek as I slipped out from underneath his arm and covers, grabbing clean clothes as I went to the bathroom. While I still felt nauseous at times, it wasn't so bad that I felt like throwing up –though, admittedly, the waves rocking the ship back and forth were a little much sometimes. Two weeks had passed since Franky had built the room. It had felt like longer –it had been so easy to get into the habit of waking up with Zoro beside me, not on the bench up in the crow's nest, but in a comfortable bed.

As I came back into the bedroom, I saw Zoro stretch before sitting up. He looked at me, gave a tired grin, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. I smiled as he approached me, looking in the mirror and lifting my shirt over my stomach. There was still no sign of the baby in my outwardly appearance. That was fine, though. It meant that it was less likely for pirates and Marines to single me out because I was pregnant.

Perhaps any other female pirate _would_ find a nice secluded or safe island and give birth there –maybe give up whatever dreams they had for the sake of raising their precious child. But I didn't want to put my dreams on hold to wait for a child to grow up enough so that I felt alright leaving them on their own. And if I just left him or her to some village, what would I do if they ended up feeling the same way I did?

I tugged my shirt down as Zoro placed a kiss on the side of my head, wrapping his arms around me from behind. "Morning."

"Good morning," I told him, placing my hands over his.

"Feeling okay?" he asked –the way he did every time he woke up, or when he came back from leaving just a moment, or before we went to sleep, or if I woke up to go to the washroom in the middle of the night… He asked a lot.

"I'm fine," I leaned the back of my head on his shoulder, looking up at the ceiling before rolling my head so I could kiss his jawbone. "Let's go get some breakfast."

"Starving?"

"Hungry like a wolf," I said, and then I paused, and said jokingly, "Maybe even… like Luffy."

"You're not going to gain weight from the baby –you're going to gain it from eating so much," he teased, nuzzling my ear with his nose.

I laughed.

"Morning, Robin!" Chopper waved up at me from the deck below. "How are you feeling today?" Chopper, too, constantly asked me if I was okay. But he was the doctor, so it was only natural.

"I'm feeling great," I told him as I walked down the stairs. "We have the check up later today, right?"

"Mm," he grinned. "You're not tired today?"

"No more than other days," I reassured him as we headed up to the kitchen.

"That's good," he said, nodding. "Consistency is good."

"Robin," Harumi ran up the stairs after me as I reached the deck, throwing her arms around me and rotating around me on the opposite side of Zoro. "You look lovely today."

"Thank you," I told her. She opened her mouth, "And I'm feeling good today, too."

"Good," she said, nodding her head firmly.

"Robin-chwan~!" Sanji greeted me as I pushed open the door to the dining hall. "We have some great dishes for your fatigue~!"

"Thank you, Sanji," I said. He, Nami, Luffy, and Brooke hardly asked me if I was okay at all. It's not that they didn't care about how I was doing with the baby, but they knew that I'd speak up if something didn't feel right, or perhaps they'd even be the first to notice.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, setting the plate down in front of me as I sat down. "And if you didn't, I'm not surprised, with that idiot lying beside you."

"Oi!" Zoro said, standing up just as he began to sit. "You –"

"Calm down, both of you," Nami said, entering the room with Luffy –who rushed to the table and began eating. She smiled at me as she took a seat, "You're glowing, Robin."

"Thank you… sleep in general has been better since Zoro and I got our own room and bed to share," I smiled as Franky walked in. "Thank you, Franky."

"You say that every day," Franky said, turning his head away in his embarrassment.

I chuckled.

"So you're –"

"Yes," I said, a slight annoyance slipping through my voice, "I'm feeling fine."

Zoro rubbed my shoulder gently, picking up his fork.

"Ah, pregnant mood swings," Nami teased slightly, nudging me.

"Sorry," I said, leaning onto the table and rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"It's fine," she assured me. "Right guys?"

"Well, we're already used to it with Nami," Usopp and Brooke walked in. Brooke stopped for a moment and looked back outside. No one else was left on deck, so I found this action a little odd.

Nami took her shoe off and whipped it at Usopp –who ducked –and it hit Brooke instead.

"Yohoho! I didn't see that coming! Because I have no eyes to see with! Skull joke! Yohoho!" Brooke laughed.

"Sorry, Brooke," Nami said –though she didn't look all that sorry. "I was aiming for Usopp."

"You know how you can make it up to me, Nami?" Brooke began.

"How?"

"If you show me your –"

Her other shoe hit Usopp.

"Sorry, Usopp, I was aiming for Brooke."

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and his hand on his shirt. "I had a weird dream last night."

We all looked at him expectantly.

"Well, what was it about?" Usopp asked, nursing his head as he came to the table.

"I don't remember," Luffy grinned, and everybody face-palmed, except for Nami, Harumi, Zoro and myself. Nami rolled her eyes –probably having had heard this already at least once before entering the kitchen. Harumi, Zoro and I all chuckled.

"Oh! You were all in it!" he began again.

"And –?" They all waited.

"Eh? And what?"

"What were we doing?" Franky asked.

"Shishishi. I don't remember," he laughed again.

"Ugh!" They all fell onto the table, arms outstretched and strategically missing their plates.

I poked around at my food before stabbing a vegetable and stuffing it in my mouth. I still avoided the carrots, but Zoro happily ate them.

"So when are we going to start getting baby stuff?" Usopp asked, Harumi nodding as if she wanted to ask that herself.

"Well, the first couple of months are the most dangerous in terms of miscarriages," Nami said for me. "So there's not point until later in the pregnancy. If Franky were to build a crib this early, it'd only serve as an ugly reminder, if –well you know."

She knocked on the wooden table lightly as she reached for her drink.

"I think the baby will be fine," Luffy said, watching as Sanji took his plate away and replaced it with a new one. He grabbed his fork and immediately dug in.

"See?" Nami said, placing her hand lightly on his shoulder, "You heard it from the man of instinct himself."

"It is reassuring," I grinned. I placed the rest of the food on my fork and ate it. There was a part of me that was still hungry, but I didn't want to blow up like a whale.

"If you're hungry, eat," Zoro murmured in my ear.

"I'm fine," I told him. "I'll eat a snack before lunch."

"If you're done, Robin, we can have that check up now," Chopper said, getting up.

"Mm," I said, placing my napkin on my plate. Zoro grunted, not approving of me dismissing the idea of eating until full –especially after having joked this morning about eating as much as Luffy.

Nami also came along, closing the door behind the three of us as I sat down on the medical bed. Chopper had everything he needed laid out already. While he checked my blood pressure, I listened to Nami as she spoke.

"That book you lent me was great," she said, looking at the medicines on the shelves before taking a seat beside me. "You said that's the one you read to Zoro, when the ship got stolen with you still in it, right?"

"You're not going to let us live it down, are you?" I chuckled, shivering as Chopper placed a stethoscope to my lower abdomen, moving it in slow circular motions on my stomach.

"Of course not," she kicked her feet back and forth. "I mean, you're usually so even headed, and you can hold your liquor… for the ship to get stolen while you and Zoro were up in the crow's nest sleeping is just too good of a blemish in your history to let it slide by. I'm going to tell your children that one day."

I laughed, "Well, I'm sure I can tell your future children all the mistakes you've made. I should start making a list. Maybe then –"

"Oh!" Chopper exclaimed, looking up happily.

"What is it?" Nami and I asked simultaneously.

"A heartbeat," Chopper said, taking the ear piece from his ear and handing it to Nami, keeping the stethoscope to my stomach.

"Heartbeats," Nami murmured happily as she listened. She took the ears off, handing it back to Chopper before opening the door to the kitchen –"The baby has a heartbeat!"

They all rushed to the door before I even had a chance to listen. Zoro squeezed past everyone, taking a seat beside me and waiting for the noise to die down:

"Everyone quiet! Whoa~! It really is beating."

"So cute! It's super!"

"Yohoho! My ears have never heard a sweeter sound –but I have no ears to hear with! Yohoho! Skull joke!"

"Shishishi."

"Robin-chwan! It's heartbeat is nearly as cute as yours!"

"Awe~"

Zoro managed to take the stethoscope and put it to his ears. He listened intently as the others continued to stand near the door.

"It's such a weak heartbeat," Zoro muttered.

"Its heart _is_ weak right now," Nami said.

"It should have a strong heart. Like me," Zoro said.

"A strong heart like you?" Sanji scoffed, but Nami nudged him before he could say anything more.

"It will, after it grows," Chopper assured Zoro and ignoring Sanji. Finally he handed me the stethoscope.

I put it to my ears and closed my eyes as I listened. It was so faint, but you could still hear it. A smile grew over my lips, and I placed one of my hands on my stomach. It felt like a miracle at that moment.

No, it didn't _feel_ like a miracle. It was a miracle –or at least a miracle in the making. And as Zoro embraced me, I couldn't help but be happy that this was _our_ miracle.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Ahha, I've been so bad at updating lately :P But really, the school year is ending, and it really is getting to be super busy. Lots of projects and homework to do, etc. Exams are in three weeks. My final project in drama is in two and a half. Another drama project is going on Monday and Tuesday... busy busy! And in one of my classes it's like quiz after quiz... ahhhh, what a stressful time of year. But about a year from now, I'll be graduating! I'm pretty pumped XD

But here it is! Chapter five :P Thanks for being so patient! You guys are awesome :)

This chapter is set two weeks after the last chapter, putting Robin at 8 weeks pregnant! I'm trying to get to the more interesting parts of the pregnancy, like her actually showing and such :P If I didn't feel so bad about setting dates for publishing and then circumstances making me push it back a day or so, I probably would have made this chapter a bit longer, but I did feel bad, so here it is :P

Thanks for reading, and don't be afraid to review :)

I hope you enjoy! :D

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

I frowned as I looked down at the button on my pants. I had to go shopping. For pants that wouldn't feel tight on the abdomen… No, I wasn't showing yet, but I could feel the slight swelling. It was like... an organ inflammation -It was solid when you pressed against it lightly, but you couldn't really see what was going on.

"Everything alright?" Zoro asked, pulling his shirt on over his head.

"Do you think anyone would mind if I went pantless," I joked, glancing at him.

"I wouldn't," he grinned, placing a hand on my arm and kissing my cheek. "You're only into week eight and you already need to buy new pants? It looks like you could do the button up, though."

"I could, but then I'd feel uncomfortable," I murmured. "Nami said the next island is only a day and a half away last night, right? So that should mean a day now. Oh, maybe I could borrow something of Harumi's…"

"I'd prefer if you didn't," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I need something," I muttered, opening the closet and shifting through clothes. "Where's my skirt?"

"Which one?"

"The black one?"

"Which one?"

"The looser one, it ties at the side instead of a zipper."

"Is that the one you tore in battle a month and a half ago?"

"Shit," I muttered, slamming my closet shut.

"Can't you go one more day with the pants you already own?"

"You wouldn't understand," I snapped, then backtracked immediately. "Sorry."

"It's alright," he said, getting up. "Want me to get Nami?"

I sighed, "Please."

"I'll be right back," he told me, leaving me alone in the room.

I crossed over to the bed and took a seat, beside where he had just been. I spread my arms out and fell back. I bounced twice before my body settled into the bed. Placing my hands over my face, I cried out in frustration, just as the door opened and Nami stepped in.

"Whoa, you're almost as bad as me, and I would never say this, but it's just clothes, Robin," she teased as she came over and handed me a skirt. "We'll have a shopping spree when we arrive at the next town, alright?"

"Where'd Zoro go?" I asked, sitting up.

"To grab breakfast, I think," she said, taking a seat as I stood up to change. "How are you feeling today?"

"Well, I already snapped at Zoro," I muttered as I adjusted the skirt.

"You should probably tend to your flower bed," Nami said suddenly.

"I totally forgot about my flowers," I spun to look at her.

"I've been taking care of them when I do my mikans, but really, you should probably fall into routine again. It'll probably remove some of the stress you're putting on your own shoulders."

"Maybe you're right," I sighed, then smiled, "Thank you for taking care of the flowerbed."

"Well, you always tend to my mikans when I'm caught up in something," Nami just shrugged. "It's the least I can do."

"You're doing so much for me," I told her. "And I really, really appreciate it."

"Let's go eat," Nami said, holding out her hand. I took it, letting her lead me as if I were a child. And perhaps I was like a child in that moment. It didn't matter. I felt loved by my nakama, and I was filled with a warmth that was impossible to rid myself of.

As we exited onto the deck, I saw that there was a large picnic blanket laid out on the ground of the lawn deck. Luffy and Zoro were lying there already. Brooke came out of the aquarium, and Chopper ran around the corner, more than likely coming from the infirmary. Harumi, Sanji, Usopp and Franky were currently no where in sight, though I was sure it was safe to assume that Sanji was in the kitchen.

"I thought you said you were coming back?" I smiled down at Zoro as I went down the stairs.

"I was…" he murmured, opening one eye to look at me, "but then somehow I ended up here."

I chuckled, sitting beside him. He lifted his head, shifting so that he could lay his head on my lap. I brought my hand up to his head and began running my fingers through his hair. It was so peaceful today. The sea was calm –I couldn't feel the rocking of the boat as I usually did. I inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly, content.

"Robin-chwa~an, Nami-swa~an!" Sanji cheered gleefully as he exited the kitchen with many plates balancing on his arms. Harumi followed behind him, also carrying food in her hands. It was nice to see them getting along well. "Good morning~! I hope you slept well~!"

"Don't drop the food," Zoro muttered to him.

"What'd you say, muscle head?" Sanji glared at him as he approached us.

"It doesn't matter, Luffy'd eat it anyway," Nami said, making Harumi and Luffy laugh. Nami smiled at our Captain, leaning in for a really quick kiss on the lips.

"Chopper, go get the other two idiots," Sanji said, laying the food on the blanket.

"Idiots?" Usopp said, sticking his head out of the men's quarters. Franky emerged behind him, the two of them coming out to join us. "You're not referring to Franky and me, are you?"

"Well, the other three idiots are already out here," Sanji said, taking the plates from Harumi carefully. When his hand brushed against hers she flinched a little, but overall kept calm. She was learning.

"Nami, Sanji just called you an idiot," Luffy said, grabbing food off of the plate nearest to him.

"I called _you_ an idiot," Sanji said, setting down the last of the plates.

"So if Nami's an idiot, and I'm an idiot, who's the last idiot?"

"Sanji," Zoro, Brooke, Usopp and Franky all said at the same time.

I chuckled.

"Nami-swan and I are not idiots!" Sanji snapped.

"Then what are you?" Luffy asked through a mouthful of food.

"Nami-swan is the pure essence of a goddess~"

"And you are?"

"An idiot," Zoro muttered.

"I _am not_ an _idiot_!" Sanji shouted at him. Zoro sat up, his hands going to his katana –some things never changed.

"Calm down," Nami said.

"I have the feeling that one day we're going to have to put Harumi to use as a poison tester," I murmured.

"Sanji would never poison Zoro, would you, Sanji?" Nami said, looking up at our cook.

"I would if I didn't think he'd be able to stomach it," Sanji muttered.

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed.

At that moment, there was a high pitched screech, and everybody covered their ears.

"_Straw-hat Pirates –if that's really you, come out and fight! We'll take your heads and gather your bounties!_"

"Awwww, what kind of person interrupts during breakfast?" Usopp complained.

"Eat quickly!" Franky said, grabbing for the nearest plate, but Luffy beat him to it –as well as all the other plates. Soon our breakfast was devoured by the bottomless pit.

"Luffy!" everyone shouted at him.

"Eh? You said to eat quickly!" he said defensively.

"We have to eat too!" Usopp shouted angrily.

"Oh, yeah! Shishishi. Sorry."

"You don't sound really sorry," Sanji muttered, getting up. "Deal with these losers –I'll go re-cook breakfast."

"Idio~ot!" Usopp said to Luffy, who only grinned, satisfied with his meal.

"Can we deal with these pirates now?" Nami asked, getting to her feet. She went to the ship's railing and looked over at the ever nearing enemy ship.

I also stood up, but Zoro put a hand on my arm, keeping me from going up to Nami's side.

"Stay back, alright?" he said.

"I'm alright to battle," I told him.

"Robin –"

"Zoro."

"You're pregnant."

"I'm not even showing yet," I countered.

"I'm with Zoro, Robin," Nami said, turning to face me. "Don't worry, we got this."

"I don't even strain my body when I fight," I muttered.

"Eh? Robin's not going to fight?" Luffy interfered.

"She's pregnant, Luffy," Nami reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot!"

Nami rolled her eyes, "Are you going to forget when I get pregnant?"

"I have the feeling you wouldn't let me forget, no matter how forgetful I am," Luffy grinned at her.

Nami didn't know whether to take that as an insult or what, so she just turned back to the other ship, just as a cannonball was launched at us. It came towards us, whistling through the air. Luffy jumped up, taking a deep breath and expanding his stomach. The cannonball hit, going straight through him –only to be bounced right back out.

"It's dangerous on deck," Franky said. "Go to your room."

"I'm not just going to leave," I told them.

"Robin," Harumi said, tugging on my sleeve.

Harumi couldn't fight long distance like the others, deeming her as useless in these kinds of situations. And she wasn't in disguise, making it hard for her to face the men on the other crew in hand-to-hand combat. So it wasn't for my sake but for hers when I nodded and led her to my and Zoro's room. I went straight to the bed, sitting down and crossing my legs, resting my elbow on my knee. I put my chin in my hand and sighed, staring off into the corner of the room.

"I want to be able to fight with them," I said after a moment.

"But the first three months are dangerous for the baby, right?" Harumi said.

I looked at her.

"I, ah, read the books too," she said, sheepishly avoiding my gaze.

"I don't even have to get near the enemy –my fruit allows me to fight from long distances. This is border lining ridiculous."

"Well, they're only showing that they care," she shrugged, going to the porthole and watching the battle. I didn't bother –I had no doubt we'd win, with or without me. But I enjoyed being a part of the battle with my nakama. Even if I was pregnant, I wished to do something.

Was this how it was going to be for the next seven months?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** If you're not reading "Down Under" or "Of Dreams, Clouds and Mikans", then you wouldn't know that I will be putting this story on hold while I finish "Down Under". The reason I chose that story is mainly because it'll be a shorter story over all, so hopefully I'll be getting back to writing this one soon! Because I really like the ideas I have laid out in my head for it :P I meant to write a chapter more or less two weeks ago when I decided this, but it was the end of the school year and things just kept popping up, updates were pushed to the side as final projects became priority and the like. But now it's summer! Just have a math exam tomorrow and I'm free! Yayyyyy XD

I hope you enjoy this chapter -I think it was one of the easiest chapters I've written for this story :) It just flowed so naturally out of my mind, and the only reason it wasn't up earlier is because I had to go run errands with family. Oh, and we went mudding XD I had a blast. But here it is!

Ahha, I was just about to post this, and reread my summary, and realized that the first two sentences rhymed! Ahha, totally didn't mean to do that. I think I might reword it later so that the entire thing rhymes. Because I am just _that_ cool XD

Oh! But if you like reading my work, I am posting my personal novels up now, and the URL address is on my profile. I have two stories up, but I'll be working on "_Moonlight Sonata_" more frequently, because I have it all written, I'm just editing it (like, super editing it -I'm practically rewriting it :P) before I post chapters. I would love to get your feedback!

Anyway, it's late, I'm rambling, and I'm off to bed!

Happy reading! And I sincerely hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

This was driving me insane. It'd been fifteen minutes and no one had come to the door and said that everything was okay. I mean, I had faith in my nakama, but it was frustrating when I didn't know what was going on. And Harumi unconsciously took up the space by the porthole, not giving me a chance to take a peek.

"How is it?" I finally asked.

"Sanji really knows how to kick ass," she murmured.

"How's Zoro?" I asked.

"Awesome as usual," she said. "I wish I could fight like you guys."

"Aren't you training with Sanji?"

"A little, here and there," she said, turning to face me. "But he's always busy feeding Luffy and tending to you and Nami to give up much of his time for me."

"Have you tried asking?"

"I think sometimes he still beats himself up on mistaking me as a guy," she gave a half-hearted smile.

"You're not the master of disguise for nothing," I said, getting up and coming to the porthole finally. I clenched the metal frame as I watched someone approach Zoro from behind with a sword drawn. He turned at just the right moment, flinging the man back, over the edge of the ship and into the water.

"See, he can handle himself," Harumi said, glancing at me.

"I know," I murmured. A gunshot was fired, quickly I moved out of the way, pushing Harumi at the same time, who shrieked when the window shattered. I produced a wall of hands quickly to keep the glass from hitting me and the child I was carrying. Pain tore up my actual arms.

"Are you okay?" Harumi asked, crawling to my side below the window.

"I'm fine," I hissed, letting my extra arms disappear. Glass shards hit the ground, but the pain remained. But the baby was okay, and that's all that mattered. I continued to sit there, now able to hear everything that was going on outside.

"YOU BASTARD!"

That was Zoro for sure. I couldn't help but smile.

There was the loud bang of a door being slammed open, then –"Robin-chwan and Harumi-chan are in that room, you insufferable twit!"

That was Sanji. I wonder how breakfast was going.

"Who the hell did that?"

Franky.

All in all there was a ruckus on the ship beyond the wall that we sat against.

"You're loved," Harumi smiled as she sat there beside me.

"You're loved by all of us too, Harumi," I told her. "We're all nakama –we look out for each other.

"Mm," her smile grew. It faded as she turned from me, her hand going to her heart. "That scared the shit out of me though."

"Me too," I admitted.

More glass fell beside us, and we looked up to see Luffy's head through the porthole.

"Shishishi, you're okay! I'm glad!" he said.

"Luffy, that's not a very good way to fight," I told him.

"Luffy, get back out here!" Nami called to him.

"Alright!" he called, snapping his head back. "No worries, guys, Robin and Harumi are okay!"

"That bastard still deserved to die," I heard Zoro mutter. He sounded close, and I stood up and looked out the window to see him standing there with his back to me. I reached out cautiously and touched his back with my hand. He glanced back at me, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I smiled tenderly at him.

"Good," he said, taking my hand and kissing it quickly. "Stay back from the window, alright?"

"I want to fight too," I told him.

"Robin."

"I know," I sighed, withdrawing my hand. "_It's for my own good_."

"Don't say it like you don't agree," Harumi said from beside me. "Don't bear ill feelings to those that are thinking about you well-being."

I inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry."

"I love you," Zoro told me before leaping back into battle.

"It's okay," Harumi also got up. I let her lead me out of sight from the window. I sat down on the floor by my closet. She knelt in front of me, taking my hands in hers, "This is all new to us. All of us. We just want to make sure it goes smoothly."

"I know," I said, closing my eyes and taking another deep breath. I opened my eyes. "I guess I'm going to have to get used to being helpless."

"I think," Harumi began slowly, "that every human being needs to know the feeling of being helpless at some point in their lives."

"It's usually called 'childhood'," I smiled halfheartedly. Like all those times where the only thing I could really do was run away.

"Beyond that," Harumi rolled her eyes, sitting beside me. "Being helpless when you're an adult is like… relearning everything you know about life from a different perspective –it's eye-opening."

I felt the corners of my mouth turn upwards into a genuine smile. "I suppose you're right."

Helplessness… like the time that Luffy, and the rest of my nakama, had rescued me from CP9 and Enies Lobby.

"So think of it as a learning experience," Harumi concluded.

"Mm," I said, yawning. The sounds of gunfire travelled inside the room through the porthole. They were slowly getting depleted –my nakama were winning the battle.

It saddened me, though, that they could fight as if I wasn't there. No, I supposed that was wrong. They were fighting _because _I was there. There with a child slowly growing inside of me.

I let my head rest on Harumi's shoulder, yawning again. My arms still throbbed with pain.

I guess I could rely on them once more –even if this once more spanned the next couple of months to the next couple of years.

* * *

><p>"She fell asleep," Harumi's voice rumbled through my ear. I realized I was still resting on her shoulder –but I didn't feel like moving.<p>

"I see that. The stress wears her out quickly." –Zoro's voice.

"Stress and frustration do a number on a lot of people," Harumi murmured.

"Here," I felt a hand slip between Harumi and me, another carefully sliding underneath me. Zoro's hands. I recognized the rough gentleness. He lifted me up, and I clutched the front of his shirt, becoming aware once more of the pain in my arms. I wondered how long it would take to go away. Maybe I should tell Chopper at some point? Zoro laid me down carefully on the bed, "It's okay to keep sleeping."

"Not tired," I mumbled.

"Liar," he chuckled softly.

"Hungry though," I said, opening one eye.

"Of course you are –Luffy ate everyone's breakfast. I'll bring you something to eat."

I nodded, closing my eye only slightly as I watched him walk to the door –Harumi appeared to be gone.

"I'll clean up the mess," Nami said as she entered the room as Zoro exited, carrying a broom and dustpan. "Oh, is Robin sleeping?"

"Yes," Zoro said.

"No," I said.

Nami laughed. "I'll clean up the glass from the porthole. Franky will fix it later when you're not trying to sleep."

"I'm not trying to sleep," I told her. "He can fix the window now, if he'd like to."

"But –"

"I don't mind," I said.

She was silent for a moment, "Well, alright then. I'll get Franky to do it soon. It's going to rain, so the sooner he does it the better –we don't need you catching a cold."

"Thank you," I closed my eyes and listened to the broom's bristles on the wooden floor as Nami carefully swept up the pieces of glass. She hummed softly as she did so. I guess Luffy had barely gotten hurt during battle, or else I'm sure that sweeping up the glass would be the last thing on her mind. How long had it been since the battle ended? Since I fell asleep?

Footsteps entered the room, and soon after a plate was placed by my head on the night table. Zoro was back. He sat on the edge of the bed beside me, gently caressing my hand. I opened my eyes, looking up only to meet his. He made me feel special. That hard gaze that seemed impenetrable disappeared when he looked at me.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest underneath his stare. I loved him a lot –and I was happy that it was his child that was inside me. Our child. My heart constricted. I had only been thinking about the complications lately, but _we_ were going to have a child. A production of our love –it was an incredible realization.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brushing his thumb underneath my eye. Apparently I was crying again.

"I'm just happy," I said, then felt like an idiot.

"I'll get Franky to change the window later, but before it rains," Nami murmured quietly as she finished up and left, closing the door softly behind her.

Zoro leaned down, brushing my hair out of my face and kissing me; first on the lips, then just below my eye –where I could feel the slickness of my tears underneath his lips –then my forehead. Then he brought me up to a sitting position and rested his chin on top of my head.

"Just happy?" he asked, his arms resting across my shoulder blades. I was consumed by his warmth.

"Think about it," I grasped his shirt at the waist, pulling myself closer to him. "It's _our_ child, Zoro. We're going to have a child. We're going to be parents."

He was silent, and I started to pull back and look at him, but he wouldn't let me, just tightened his grip around me ever so slightly. He quivered, and eventually I was able to pull away to see his face –only he covered that with his hands.

"Zoro?" I asked. My first reaction was fear. What was wrong? Didn't he want to be a dad? Was he scared? Why didn't he want me to see his face? "Zoro?"

"I," he started, and then stopped for a long moment. Finally he continued, after a long shaky breath, "Even after talking about it when we had that old man and his two grandkids on the ship –the time when we'd gotten so drunk that we didn't even notice Bandits literately stealing the ship out from under us –I never actually imagined that the time would come…"

He pulled his hands away to reveal red eyes –he'd been crying. But the tears had stopped, which was probably the only reason that he had brought his hands back down. I don't recall ever seeing Zoro cry. I wondered if I ever would see him cry…

"I'm so glad it has," he framed my face with his large hands, and I leaned into his palm. "And I'm so glad that I'm sharing this time with you."

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he said, kissing me, his lips soft as they pressed against mine. They were bittersweet, tasting like his tears, both his and mine. I didn't mind. I liked the symbolic feel behind bittersweet kisses. The message that no matter what happened and no matter what came our way, that as long as we loved each other we'd be able to get through anything.

"Oh –sorry," Franky said, opening the door. Zoro pulled away from me, keeping his face towards the back wall, assumingly to hide his red and slightly swollen eyes. I looked at Franky, wiping my eyes as I did so. "Nami said that the wind has picked up and the storm will be here in about ten minutes. I wanted to catch you guys before you started doing anything –"

"Proceed," I said, an extra arm popping up and waving him towards the window. Zoro looked at me, and we smiled when our gazes met, before both of us started laughing.

Franky looked surprised for a moment, but smiled as he walked over to the window.

It made me wonder if he had ever seen Zoro laugh like that. It wasn't loud and rambunctious, almost harsh sounding, like when he laughed with the rest of our crew. It was softer than normal. Almost sweet sounding, but still manly.

A lover's laugh.

A father's laugh.

Nothing like the demon the world knew him as.

And nothing but the man I loved so dearly.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Da-da-da-DAAAAAA!

I know, I know... It's been, like, 2, maybe almost three weeks since I've updated ANYTHING. But as some of you may be aware, and experiencing, school is back, and it's weight is bearing down heavier than ever. It's my final year of high school, and I am planning on going to university, so I do have to get my nose to the grindstone, so if you'd all continue to be so patient as you have been, I would love you all FOREVER. Honest.

And I really am glad you've all been so patient. And I know so many of you are looking forward to "Freak Show", as I am, but this story will be finished first before I get to that one. And if you haven't already looked into the prologue for it, I highly recommend it. "Freak Show" will be such a promising horror One Piece story, and I really can't wait to start writing it.

But still, my greatest apologies. I'll have a one-shot out soon in "Of Dreams, Clouds and Mikans" sometime soon. Maybe I'll even throw together a Brooke-shot :O

Anyway, here's the long awaited chapter, one that you've been waiting for for a month and a half, maybe two months for.

And I REALLY hope you enjoy it :3

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

* * *

><p><em><span>Three weeks later<span>_

I felt like I was being held against my will.

And by that, I meant that no one was letting me do _anything_. I was locked away in my room the moment someone brushed their fingers against their weapon half a kilometer away, whether the intention to draw it –let alone use it –was there or not.

The further I got in my pregnancy, the more cautious everyone was. I wanted to go out, drink and join them in a fight, but the only time they let me walk on an island was after everyone had finished gathering needed materials for the next voyage, and I was never alone. They'd make me walk with three of them. Zoro was always one of them. Nami was also there most of the time. The third was basically whoever had free time.

I was hardly showing, and they really weren't inconspicuous. I really think they drew more attention this way, especially with Zoro glaring at anyone who accidentally bumped into me.

Nami, Harumi and Chopper understood my angst, but no one else seemed to. They insisted, and since we all usually went to the bar, they said it was okay to go as a group.

Maybe I was over thinking things. It didn't matter.

I needed a break.

* * *

><p>Standing in the bathroom, I crossed my arms in front of me, producing a full replica of me. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. The second me walked out of the bathroom, and out the door. I watched through her eyes, listened through her ears as I led her up to the kitchen, up the ladder and into the library. I made her pick out a random book and sit on the bench.<p>

Zoro came in a short while later, sitting beside the duplicate and laying on her lap without saying anything. Through her body, I stroked his hair with one hand while with the other I held the book.

"_How are you feeling_?" he asked.

"_Good_," I replied.

"_Good_," he told me. He leaned down and kissed me, and I felt the pressure on my own lips. I inhaled gently as I stepped out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. Through my eyes situated around the ship, I was able to keep a look out for the rest of my nakama as I slipped out of the room and to the railing on the deck.

I jumped over the railing, landing on the dock below, and hurrying into the town and away from the ship. When I was a safe distance away, I dissipated all the eyes, leaving just my duplicate up in the library with Zoro. He was the one I feared the most and the least at the same time when it came to slipping out. While I didn't think he'd be completely angry at me, I think he'd be angrier at himself.

I sighed as I strolled through the town. In the ship, Zoro was playing with the tips of my hair while my duplicate continued to read. The feelings made me wish that I was there with him –because it wasn't that I enjoyed time like that with him. I did, a lot. But there was so much smothering a person could take.

And I had long since reached my limit.

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

Luffy and I sat there, watching her as she walked away.

"Is this really okay?" Luffy asked me, frowning deeply.

"We'll be watching over her," I shrugged. "She needs time to herself sometimes. And that's what we're giving her."

"Nami –" he began, but I interrupted him.

"Luffy, go, before we lose her," I pushed him forward, following closely behind him.

"Mm," he said, any argument disappearing.

We followed her, ducking into the shadows whenever she glanced back. If she saw us, she gave no sign.

"I'm hungry," Luffy complained after a while.

"If you stay with me, I'll make you something myself," I told him.

"Eh? But you can't cook," he pouted. He was teasing me, but I still hit him over the head.

I turned back just in time to see a little boy trip in front of Robin. She looked surprised for a moment before kneeling down and helping him back up onto his feet. He was crying, and his knee was scraped, but Robin comforted him until he was laughing and smiling again.

"She's going to be a great mother," Luffy said, crouching down in front of me as we watched the scene.

"Mm," I agreed.

"We should have a kid, Nami," he leaned his head back to look up at me.

"Maybe when you're older, Luffy," I told him, blushing, although I doubted he even knew the process of _making_ a child, let alone raising one. Besides, from what I knew he had a pretty abnormal childhood. He'd probably set our child on an island to fend for itself before he or she could even walk.

"Shishishi," he laughed, "Promise?"

"Promise," I said, yanking his hat over his eyes to keep him from looking at me. "Now come on, she's on the move again."

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"Thank you, onee-chan," the little boy said as he ran off towards his mother.

I continued crouching there for a moment, watching as he waved before taking his mother's hand and walking away.

As I stood up, I placed my hand on my stomach. I couldn't help but wonder if I were going to have a sweet little boy like him, or an adorable little girl. I didn't know which I wanted. I would be happy with either. Was Zoro the same? I'd have to ask him when I got back.

While I could have asked him with my duplicate being there, I felt it was best to ask in person. Just like I wouldn't get too intimate with Zoro when he was handling my duplicate –it was simply one of those lines that you don't cross.

Now that I was out and about, I realized something. There was no where for me to go. Even when I was being smothered, they still took me to the book store, and we still walked around. The only difference was that I was alone. But I was enjoying the solitude. It was as I had hoped it to be.

Refreshing.

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

"There," I pointed to this burly looking guy that was stalking Robin in a similar matter that we were. "Go take care of him, and I'll keep an eye on Robin."

"Mm," Luffy nodded, before shooting across the street the moment Robin's back was turned. He hit the guy hard, knocking him through a wall, and I slipped out of the alley and into the shop doorway as Robin continued on.

"Nami?" A voice asked behind me, from inside the shop I stood just inside of. I turned to see Harumi –dressed as a man, of course. "What are you doing?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see Robin turn a corner. I ducked out of the shop, calling out, "I'll explain later."

Even with that being said, I could still hear Harumi following after me as I turned the corner. Thankfully Robin wasn't all that far away. I let out a breath of relief.

"Is that Robin?" Harumi asked. "What's going on?"

"She has the right to roam free on her own once in a while," I told her. "She was being stifled by our constant attention. And there's such a thing as being over-protective."

"And this isn't being over-protective?" she asked. "You're stalking her."

"We're protecting her from a distance. And Luffy already beat up some pirate that was heading her way," I shrugged. "It's all good. She feels like she's gotten her freedom, but we feel better knowing that she's safe."

"I'm surprised Zoro let this happen," she commented as she continued to follow me.

"He… I don't think he knows," I told her.

"But –"

"It's better this way, Harumi. This way Robin gets her fill of solitude, but she's still protected. Even if Zoro gets angry that Luffy and I let this happen, we were watching over her the entire time. It's fine."

"I'm not so sure," Harumi murmured.

"Harumi, you know how you feel when you're surrounded by guys for a long, long period of time?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Robin as we moved forward.

"Mm, I feel uncomfortable," she replied quietly.

"And you probably want to get out and take a breather, especially if you have to be with them for an even longer duration, right?" I continued when she was silent, "This is Robin's breather. She's just taking a short break, because she knows that if her duplicate is found out by Zoro, then she's never going to have _any_ alone time, ever."

"Would it be the same for you if you were in her position?" she asked suddenly.

"No," I smiled, stealing a glance at my man-hating companion, "Because I would have been out of the ship on my own ages ago. As much as I love my crew –our crew –I love my freedom. And no matter the circumstances, I'll do whatever it takes to keep it."

"Even if you were pregnant and it was dangerous?"

"It's always dangerous, even now. But I'll grow strong, and Luffy will grow strong, so that we never have to worry about danger bearing down on our children."

I turned back to Robin. "And Robin will become strong too. She may look relaxed and easy-going, but she's probably more aware of her surroundings more than anyone. Hell, she probably knows that we're here. I think she's happy just having a few extra feet of space away from us, where we're not constantly by her side and making sure she's okay."

I sighed as I watched Robin semi-turn towards us, surely acknowledging our presence without inviting us to her side.

I smiled.

Yeah, Robin was going to become stronger.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I feeeeeeeelllll sooooooo baaaaaad for not updating this sooner.

This chapter would have been out a week ago, had my computer not been stupid and reset itself. I had the chapter 3/4s written, but I hadn't saved it, and although Microsoft Word is supposed to "autosave" (apparently not *insert unhappy face here* ) it wasn't recovered after the computer started up again. It was a sad, sad, sad day.

And if _any_ of you have ever lost work on a computer, you know that you suddenly feel a little... lazy when it comes to rewriting it. I mean, don't get me wrong, the chapter's done, but it definitely took a while in the getting there.

I've missed you guys :3

Anyway, I suddenly found a little inspiration for writing this story. I know exactly what I want to do with it -and it may seem unpredictable at times, like today, but bear with me as I create another story of twists and turns :)

A one-shot should be up soon. Or so I hope. I work tomorrow, Saturday AND Sunday. Maybe Monday? ... ... ... Oh! Look at that. Monday AND tuesday. Hopefully I'll get an update Wednesday or Thursday.

Anyway, sorry it took so long, but if you're craving any of my work, I do have personal stories accessed through my profile :)

I suppose this spiel has gone on long enough. You can read now :) And I hope you enjoy! :D

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

* * *

><p>When I got back to the ship, I headed straight for my room. I didn't speak to Nami, Luffy or Harumi. I went to my room, excused my double from Zoro's side, then dispersed of her the moment she was out of sight.<p>

With a sigh, I entered back into my room and fell backwards onto my bed. With a gentle hand, I rubbed my ever-growing abdomen. I inhaled, then exhaled slowly, closing my eyes and tilting my head back. A moment of peace surrounded me.

Today was nice, and I was grateful to Nami for letting me have some "alone" time –even if I wasn't completely alone. But was it wrong of me to still crave more? I understood their reasoning. I understood that they weren't protecting me, but the child I was carrying. I knew it –but I still though I'd prefer more space.

I would consider myself a reserved person by nature. You don't spend twenty years on your own with no one to rely on and get by being an extrovert. I needed space and time for myself.

When Luffy came along, I never intended to stay for long. He was an idiot, and the rest of the crew was easy to win over.

Except Zoro.

I rolled onto my side, spotting the book I read to Zoro before we fell asleep. I picked it up, flipping through the pages idly.

"Don't read on ahead without me," Zoro said from the doorway.

"I wouldn't dare," I smiled, finding our page. I patted the spot beside me on the bed. "Come –let's read."

"Mm," he said, crossing the room to the bed. He sat down, swinging his feet up and resting his back against the headboard. I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart as I found the spot where we'd left off.

"Ready?" I glanced up at him.

"Mm," he repeated, shifting to get his arm out from underneath me. He wrapped it around me, resting it on my hip.

I cleared my throat before I began.

"_The town was silent, the air thick with grief and remorse. Everyone was inside their houses, sleeping or drinking, trying to escape from their pain. Everyone, except for James Mallory._

_James stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out across the sea. He didn't like the way things were now. They needed to be changed. And, as much as he didn't want to admit it, the only way to do that would be to rescue her; to rescue Angelina._

_He and Lina had never actually gotten along. She was stubborn, annoying –and there was a part of him that wondered if his life would be more peaceful without her around. But he needn't anything more than a glance around his town to realize that everybody missed the town's beautiful Angel._"

"She kinda reminds me of Nami," Zoro muttered.

"How so?" I asked.

"The stubborn and annoying part."

"But you'd rescue her, right?"

"She's nakama." So, yes.

I chuckled as I went back to the story.

"_James turned away from the sea, heading back down to the town. If he wanted to save her, he'd need weapons and armor strong enough to withstand a demon's furious fists. It was only natural to head for the Blacksmith's hut._

"_Mallory," Isabella greeted, wiping her hands on her shirt. If it had been any other colour previously, it was nearly black now. A dark streak covered her cheek, but even if she had any clue she wouldn't have cared. So James didn't mention it._

"_Where's Anthony?" James asked, looking around._

"_You're going to save Lina, right?" she asked, rather than answering._

"_Maybe."_

"_Then take _this_," She said, throwing a sword at him. He caught it at the hilt._

"_I don't need your swords," he said, throwing it back._

"_You're wrong. If you want to save her, my swords are exactly what you need."_

"That's the kind of girl you need," I joked. "One that can make you swords. Or fix them for you."

"I don't need anyone other than you," he said.

I rolled my eyes. It was obvious that he still had no idea how to take such jokes, but it was fine. I had the time to teach him.

I stole a glance at him, smiling.

"What?" he asked, meeting my gaze. His ears were red, and when I laughed he scowled at me. "Just read."

"Mm."

* * *

><p>I went out more after that day. At least once every day that we were on an island, and each and every time, Nami and Luffy tailed me. Harumi followed me too, though she was a little harder to spot when she dressed up as a guy.<p>

One day a few weeks later, it was Luffy and Nami that followed me. The swelling of my abdomen couldn't be mistaken for anything than what it was –proof that I was indeed pregnant.

It didn't help that I lingered outside of stores, decorated with pastel colours and furniture only suited to children. On some islands the only stores with baby supplies were the stores that also handled the farm tools and supplies.

As I walked, I looked around. Nami's orange hair stuck out like a sore thumb –though at least Luffy wasn't wearing his straw-hat. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Luffy started drooling the moment the smell of meat coming from the nearest bar hit his nose. I chuckled, shaking my head as Nami had to drag him away.

Not paying attention to where I was going, I bumped into someone.

"Excuse me," I bowed my head in an apology as I side-stepped to get out of their way.

"Hey," he began, grabbing my arm. "You're Nico Robin."

I looked up at the muscular man, my hand instinctually flying to my stomach as I took a step back.

"Oh ho! And you're carrying a ch-"

A hand hit his jaw, sending him reeling. I followed the hand back to its rightful body –Luffy.

Nami appeared by my side, taking my wrist and pulling me into a run. The fight behind us was audible long after we turned the corner, the sound of hard impacts as buildings and other things were destroyed.

"It's Nico Robin and the cat thief!" someone shouted. Nami and I both turned to see the all too familiar white and blue uniforms.

"Zoro's going to kill us," Nami flashed a half-hearted smile as we ducked between two buildings, still running.

"We can't tell him," I breathed heavily as I ran behind her. There was the sound of a gunshot and the both of us stumbled.

Nami pushed me ahead of her, "Keep running. Luffy should be along shortly. Head back towards the ship."

"Then Zoro will know," I began –and if he found out, he'd never leave my side for a second. I would have no freedom at all.

"Luffy and I were with you," she smiled, taking out her Clima-tact. "And we protected you."

I hesitated only a second longer before I took off. Luffy handling pirates and Nami handling Marines. I felt awful having to depend so much on them. I glanced back at Nami just as I turned the corner once more.

I checked the corners carefully with extra eyes and ears, long before I approached them.

It wasn't until I got back to the main street and looking out towards the bay that I realized that it wasn't only the one group of Marines. It was a fleet of three ships –and now the town was crawling with Marines.

Fingers wrapped around my forearm tightly.

"Got you," A Marine said, panting for breath. He grinned as he looked me over. "A pirate having a baby. The lieutenant's not going to be very pleased with you, Nico Robin. Everyone knows that the offspring of pirates are evil. Look at yourself. And that Ace boy. Don't pirates ever learn?"

He pulled me out into the open, shouting "I've caught Nico Robin!"

Swiftly, I produced a leg, kicking him in the groin and forcing him to release me as I ran to the edge of town. The moment I reached the forest, I knew it was my game. I sighed as I sat on a branch of a tree. It felt great to run that much again. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been so involved.

I smiled as I leaned against the trunk of the tree. Now I only had to wait for Luffy and Nami to catch up. Just in time too, because Zoro was waking up from his nap.

* * *

><p><em><span>Zoro<span>_

I rolled over, draping my arm over her perfect body, my hand immediately going to her stomach and touching it with the entirety of my palm.

"I love you," I murmured into her neck, holding her from behind.

"I love you, too," Robin responded immediately, sounding slightly breathless.

I sat up and looked down at her, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, rolling onto her back and looking up at me.

"Hmm," was all I replied with, staring her down.

With a small smile she stretched her hand up and placed it against my cheek. I cupped my hand over hers, leaning into her palm.

"Give me a neck massage," she said, sitting up and turning around. "Lately, it's been sore."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I think it's just the way I've been sleeping," she rubbed her neck.

"A massage," I repeated.

"Mm," she said, pulling her hair over her shoulder.

I looked down at my rough fingers before placing them against her soft skin. Then I noticed that one of her beauty marks was missing on the back of her neck. I frowned, caressing the place where it usually was, right in the middle of her neck, just under her hairline.

"Hey –where –"

"SANJI! ZORO!" Harumi's voice called to us from the dock. "ROBIN –ROBIN HAS –"

Robin has -?

I looked down at Robin, then slowly got up from the bed.

"Don't go," Robin told me, pulling me down.

"She sounds worried about you," I frowned.

"I'm fine. I'm right here with you –I'm fine,"

"But you're not, are you?" I asked. "Where are you?"

"I can handle myself, Zoro," she told me.

"Where _are_ you?"

"I'm –" suddenly she disappeared, just as Harumi burst into my door.

"Robin'sbeencapturedbyMarines!" Harumi said all in one breath.

I didn't need to hear it twice. In a heartbeat I was out the door, my swords sharp and ready to cut anyone that stood between me and Robin.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I'm on a rollllllllllllllllllll... TWO one-shots AND an actual chapter? Lookie me go~!

Not really much else to say, though I think from the reviews of the last chapter, a lot of people will be surprised with the sudden change of events - BUT I DID say that there were going to be a lot of twists and turns :3

Nine chapters, adventures starting... I think we have at least five more chapters to go :P And then we'll start the racing hearts in the horrifying story of Freak Show and all it's glory.

Well, hopefully I'll get another chapter up soon, I'll work on another LuNa one-shot as well, annnnnd I suppose that's it.

So here it is.

Chapter nine.

Enjoy :3

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

* * *

><p>I caught myself as I fell out of the tree. My heart was beating rapidly, fearing for the baby, but in that moment that I was in the air I had made a hammock out of hands, landing gently and sliding to the ground.<p>

Sighing, I looked around, making sure the coast was clear before hurrying to the ship. I had to clear the misunderstanding with Zoro, before something escalated the situation.

As I went on my way, I hoped that Nami and Luffy got out of town safely. I mean, they had to deal with pirates _and_ Marines. Which I guess wasn't too big of a deal for any of our crew –I just hope they knew that I got out of there safely.

I couldn't waste time. I picked up my pace, running as fast as I could to get to the ship. When it finally came into view, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

I climbed aboard, "Zoro!"

No answer. I hurried to my bedroom.

"Zoro!"

Nothing.

"Robin?" Harumi popped out of the kitchen. "Did they save you already? They all just left because I saw you get captured."

"I wasn't captured," I told her. "They left?"

"If you're okay, then there's no need to worry, they'll be back soon, right?"

"I hope you're right," I muttered, leaning against the railing to catch my breath.

She was right. Everything would be fine.

So why did I have such a bad feeling?

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

Just as Luffy and I started heading back to the ship, Brooke and Sanji burst through the trees, Zoro, Chopper and Franky on their heels.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Hey guys."

"Not now, Luffy," Sanji nearly growled as he stopped in front of us. "Robin-chwan has been captured by the Marine's. Harumi saw it herself.

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"If you saw me get captured, you saw me get away, didn't you?" I asked, following her to the aquarium.

"Actually, I didn't _really_ see you get captured. The Marine's were all running around, shouting '_We got her! We got Nico Robin!'_ It was just my instinct to hurry here as fast as I could and get everyone."

"And then they made you stay behind and watch the ship," I looked around.

"Yeah," she mumbled, staring off into the fish tank.

"I'm sure they'll realize everything soon," I sighed, placing my elbow on the counter of the bar and resting my chin in my hand.

Harumi just looked at me, "Mm. I'm sure of it."

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

"How could you have let her do this!" Zoro shouted at me.

"How could you suffocate her with your affection and not realize it!" I shouted back.

We hurried back towards the town, needing to rescue Robin.

"I wasn't suffocating her!"

"She needs a break sometimes, Zoro!" I said, exasperated.

"Even if that's so, she should have asked!"

I slowed to a stop, watching as the rest of them continued on before realizing I fell behind. Zoro turned, too.

"Would you have let her wander the streets on her own?" I asked quietly. "Would you have let her take a single step off the Thousand Sunny without you being by her side?"

"Yes!" he answered immediately, then took a breath. "No. Maybe."

"We had been watching her carefully –"

"Then _how_ did this happen!" he asked angrily. "If you were watching her so carefully, then _how_ did she get captured by Marines?"

"Both of you, stop it," Franky said, placing a hand on Zoro's arm. Zoro grabbed the cyborg arm, pulling it off of his forearm and leaving finger dents in Franky's arm.

"Sorry," Zoro said when he saw.

"It's fine," Franky brushed it off, releasing his damaged cyboric arm and pulling out a second from the depths of his chest cavity. He put the damaged one inside, and I had no doubt he'd either fix it or recycle it into a new weapon once we got back to the ship.

"Can we go save Robin now?" Zoro asked me. "Or do you want to have your girlish fit some more?"

I felt a vein pulsing in my temple as I resisted hitting him. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"Do you think they met up with Luffy and Nami?" Harumi asked.

"Mm," I nodded, closing my eyes and yawning.

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

The Marine's spotted us, but we spotted them first.

"Where's my nakama!" Luffy shouted.

"It's straw-hat Luffy," whispers arose.

"And Roronoa Zoro!"

"He's scary."

"He's definitely scary."

"He's glaring at us."

"He's glaring at everyone."

"WHERE'S MY NAKAMA?" Luffy shouted again.

"You mean Nico Robin?" a female voice asked.

"Yeah!"

"She's already on the ship heading to the nearest Marine base," the same voice informed.

"Who said that?" Luffy looked at me.

"None of their lips are moving, huh?" Usopp agreed.

"And there's no females in this front line," Sanji muttered.

"I'm right here!" A small woman pushed herself to the front of the ranks, her cheeks puffed up and her eyes angry. She was petit. Very petit.

"She's so… so…" Sanji began.

"If you say small, I'm going to beat the shit out of you, pirate!" She shouted.

"She's~ soooo~ cu~ute!" Sanji started prancing over to her.

"Give me a break," Zoro grabbed him by the collar of his suit and pulled him back behind us. "Give us back Nico Robin!"

"Clean your ears! I just said she was already heading towards the nearest Marine base!" the woman shouted back at him. She pointed towards the docks, "The ship's already left and is moving at its highest speed!"

"Robin wouldn't have been caught that easily," Zoro muttered.

"But she's pregnant," the woman called out. "She came pretty willingly when she realized that she'd be shot if she were going to run."

Zoro's face lost a bit of its colour. Actually, I think all of ours did. The Marines knew that Robin was pregnant meant that they had a weakness of ours. A big weakness.

"I'll Gomu Gomu rocket over to the ship and get her back," Luffy told me.

"If anyone so much as nears the ship, we're cutting her stomach open," a man said, coming up behind the small woman.

"You bastard," Zoro spat.

I couldn't say anything. This was on _my_ shoulders. I had let Robin out of my site. If I had known… If I had known that this would happen I… I…

"Nami," Luffy's fingers brushed against mine.

"If you all come willingly, we'll let her go," the woman called.

Zoro clenched his fist, but took a step forward. "You promise?"

"Zoro, you know they won't," I hissed.

"I'm not going to let them hurt her," Zoro looked at me. "And I'm not going to let them hurt my child inside of her."

"We'll come," Luffy said, squaring his shoulders.

"Mm," everyone else agreed, taking step forward. As I tried to match them, Zoro and Luffy stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"I'm coming too," I told them.

"Shishishi, nope!" Luffy laughed. He grinned over his shoulder at us, "Someone has to rescue us. Franky!"

Franky was hesitant, but he grabbed my arm and started running in the opposite direction.

"But we need to rescue Robin!"

"Someone needs to guide our getaway ship!" Franky said as we turned a corner. I saw them slapping Seastone cuffs on Luffy, Zoro and the rest of them before they were no longer in sight. Luffy and Zoro's faces were hard with determination. They would save her.

"Mm," I said finally. "Let's go back to the ship.

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

I watched Harumi wash the glasses at the bar carefully, making sure that each one gleams and sparkled, the essence of absolute cleanliness.

"Harumi!" Nami's voice rang out across the ship.

"They're back!" Harumi brightened, setting the glass down and hurrying to the door. I got up, following her slowly. I didn't want to see Zoro's reaction just yet.

"Harumi! We need to set sail. Now." Nami said.

"Where's everyone else?" Harumi asked.

"Rescuing Robin," Franky's voice reached my ear. "They're taking her to the nearest Marine base. Threatened to hurt her if they didn't come willingly. So while they rescue her, we're rescuing them –"

"They took Zoro?" I closed the distance between me and the door in a heartbeat.

"Robin!" Nami exclaimed.

"What –?"

"We need to tell them that I'm okay," I said, hurrying to the edge of the deck.

"Stop," Nami grabbed me. "They've more than likely left by now. We need to follow them by ship. Otherwise, we're just wasting time. While Franky gets the ship moving, tell us what happened."

They got captured because of me.

Now we had to rescue them.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Soooooo it's been a while guys :P I'm sorry, but as always (recently), it's been pretty busy. We've finally gotten some more staff, so hopefully my shifts will be downsizing, which means - DUN DADADAAAAAAAA -more time for writing!  
>Hopefully.<p>

I've missed you guys. So much. So, so very much. Your reviews really cheer me up, and it just sucks that I can't give you what you guys deserve so dearly. More to read, and I'm really glad that you're not all banging on my door demanding more, because I don't do well under pressure.  
>I mean, yeah, it takes me a few hours to throw together a chapter, but by the time I get home, it's late, and all I want to do is read manga, do my homework and go to sleep. Somehow, I need to manage my time better though, because I DOOOOO want to write more.<p>

I have so much to say about everything, that I have no idea where to begin. You probably don't even want to hear my rants. But I DOOOOO have a negotiation?

So I mentioned in a chapter (I'm not sure if it was a one-shot or a multi-chapter story) about a certain piece I wanted you to go and vote for [[[[[It's called "Sorry" and the link is as such: **http : / figment . com /books/127801** (without spaces), or, it's on my profile]]], but only one person went and actually voted. (**Thank you, ShadowontheWall. Much appreciated :3**) I reaaaaaalllllly need your help with this, you guys. **So here's the negotiation**:_For every **5 hearts (votes)** that i receive, and **messages on my message board**_ (not on the actual story comments themselves saying "I came here from fanfiction. Hope you wiiiin~~~~!" Or something along those lines (because, how else am I gonna know?) **I'll get you out another chapter!** Promise! The prize money is something I could reeeeaaaaalllllly use, and maybe I could put it towards getting published. I mean, how cool would that be?

So whadaya say? :3 Please? Pleasssse? Pretty please? :(

I mean, it's a two minute read, plus the two minutes it takes to sign up for the site (it's free~). And if you guys have any personal stories you want read, send them my way! It's an awesome site, and if you just use to to vote for me, that's just fine and dandy. It'll TOTALLY and COMPLETELY make my day.

Anyway, enough about that, I'll let you get to the chapter now. Lots of love, you guys. I'll try to keep the chapters coming, but motivation works, right? :P

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

* * *

><p>Back in my room, I stared out the window. Nami, Franky and Harumi hadn't forced me to go in there, but <em>strongly<em> suggested it. I rested my hand over my stomach, quietly waiting as they prepared to pull away from the shore.

It hadn't taken a long time to explain what had happened. How I had avoided the Marine's and had run through the forest –how I was still the master of evading them, even while being pregnant.

I sighed, looking down at my growing belly. This was my fault. I had gotten us into this. With my insistence on exploring the towns, exploring the islands –I had gotten us into this.

"This is my fault," Nami muttered, walking into the room.

"No, it's not," I told her. There was a part of me that wished I could blame someone else, but in the end, Nami was in the same situation I was, with Luffy captured, all intentions of making sure I was safe.

But I was safe. And I would have been able to explain that to Zoro if I hadn't fallen out of the tree. He would have known if I hadn't kept my excursions from him in the first place. Or if I had never left his side in the first place.

"We'll get them back," Nami said, coming to my side. "We may not be as strong as Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, but we have Franky, we can do this. Hell, when we get there, they'll probably have the Marines all knocked down and wondering what took us so long. Especially when they find out that you're not really captured."

"Do you think that they'll let Zoro get close enough to see the truth?" I said bitterly.

"You're pregnant and supposedly in danger –he'll _demand_ to see you."

A part of me knew she was right.

"Just the same, I don't think he'll do anything to put 'you' in danger," she murmured as she walked away. She sighed. "This would be so much easier if we had Luffy here."

It'd be easier if everyone was here.

But the life of a pirate was never easy.

Why should the life of a pregnant one be any different?

* * *

><p><em>Zoro<em>

Luffy let out a heavy breath. He was frowning deeply, staring at his cuffs. His skin was pale, and he looked like he had no energy. Which was only natural. They were Seastone, after all.

"This is stupid," Sanji muttered.

"Shut up," I growled back.

"This is your fault for not watching over her properly!" Sanji spat back at me. "Now Robin-chwan is captured. Maybe cold, and starving. And I'm not there to feed her! And it's –"

"Stop it!" Usopp spoke loudly, reaching over to Brooke, who sat there motionless with the Seastone cuffs resting against his boney body. "It's no one's fault. No one could have predicted this!"

Usopp slipped the cuffs off of Brooke, tossing them aside.

"So what are we going to do?" Chopper asked weakly.

"Wait for Nami and Franky to show up to escape," Luffy said quietly. "In the meantime, we need to get to the other ship and save Robin."

"We need to save Robin," Chopper agreed. "Stress isn't good for her body. I'm sure just being with us would relieve that stress even a little."

"She wouldn't be stressed out if Zoro –"

"Stop," Luffy said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine and Nami's. We were the ones that were with her, that couldn't protect her properly."

Silence.

"Say something, Zoro."

I didn't speak. I didn't want to blame Luffy. I couldn't blame him. Because he _was_ strong enough to protect her, I knew he was. It was just dumb luck that had gotten her captured. I was sure of it. So it wasn't his fault.

But it was mine. Had I been smothering her to the point where all she wanted was to escape?

Was Sanji right?

No. Impossible. For that curly brow to have any ounce of knowledge on a realistic situation was a crazy assumption.

Besides, did it matter whose fault it was so long as we got Robin back?

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

I headed out to the deck, no longer caring for the restrictions that had been set for my safety. As I approached Nami and Franky at the helm, Nami glanced up at me. She watched me for a moment before turning her face back out to the ocean. Franky did the same. Maybe they understood my reasons. Or maybe they figured the danger wasn't quite here yet.

I walked past them, to the bow of the ship, leaning on the railing and watching as we broke from the bay and into the rougher waters of the sea.

"We need to cut them off before they get too far away from the island," Nami looked at Franky. "Once they're out of sight, they're gone until we can locate a log pose that will lead us to the Marine base. And on top of that, we have to take into account that they might separate all of them and place them at different bases."

"But in that case, it'll be easier for them to escape since they won't have the fear of hurting Robin –"

"Unless they set up a stable line between the bases, establishing that even if one of them makes a move to escape, fake Robin's going to get hurt," Nami interrupted. "We just need to establish that the Robin on their side isn't the real Robin. From there, I think the boys can handle escaping on their own."

"Except for the Seastone –"

"That's what Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji are for," Nami shrugged. "Seastone has no effect on them."

"And all Zoro needs to do is get a sword and then nothing is unable to be severed," Franky nodded. He turned the helm hard to starboard. I braced myself against the railing, closing my eyes, only opening them when the ship started moving straight once again.

"I see them," Nami said. "Coup de Burst, Franky. Robin, get over here."

I did as I was told, sitting in the seat in front of the helm. Nami sat on the edge, bracing herself around me to ensure that I wouldn't be jostled with the power of the maneuver. I gripped the bottom of the seat with one hand. It wouldn't be an all-or-nothing Coup de Burst, but it still made us go flying when the ship launched itself through the air. All we needed was to close the distance just a little bit. Then the paddles could take care of the rest.

I braced myself for the launch, my other hand going to my stomach.

A small sigh escaped my lips as I mentally sent a note to the ever-growing child inside of me.

We'll get back your father. I promise.

* * *

><p><em><span>Somewhere on the Marine's ship<span>_

"Wow~ she looks exactly like her!" one Marine exclaimed. "The same outfit and everything."

"You did all this with just a glance of her?" another Marine asked.

"All I need is a glance," Robin –or, rather, a woman with Robin's face –spoke, as if they were all idiots for not knowing such a simple- fact. "After all, the Moso Moso fruit has bestowed me great powers."

The illusion faded, and Robin's face grew slightly older, her face widening ever so slightly and her dark eyes turning a brilliant blue. Her lips thinned, her hair lightened, until a girl no older than thirty-five stood before them.

"Can you do it? Make them believe that you're the real deal?" Lieutenant Hiro asked.

"I can do this," Mari responded. "I can convince the lot of them! I could convince the largest fleet to roam the New World!"

"Don't get too cocky, Mari," Hiro scolded her. "Not only is Robin _their_ nakama, but she and one of the men are in a sinful relationship. Producing pirate spawn. What you know, knew, haven known about Nico Robin is a completely different story when you're faced with the pirates that have somehow managed to get her onto their crew."

"I'm not being cocky," Mari glared up at her superior. "I can do this."

"We'd be better off just letting them believe that Nico Robin is on the other ship," one of the other Marine's spoke up. "It'll leave less room for flaws and mistakes."

"But eventually they'll demand to see her anyway," Mari countered. "If we make it a short visit, a guard watching over the situation and then 'forcing' me to leave when things get complicated, I think we'll be okay."

"There's no guarantee that it'll work though," the Marine spoke up again.

"There's no guarantee about anything," Hiro muttered, bringing out a cigarette, lighting it and bringing it to his lips. He exhaled slowly, the smoke rising before disappearing into the air. He sighed, "At least, we can't guarantee anything about the Straw hats."

The room was silent for a moment.

He sighed again, "Mari. You're in there. We'll take the risk this time."

As he walked away, the Marine turned to Mari –"It's all on you if you mess this up."

"I won't mess up," Mari said firmly. Her features faded and she once again became Robin. "Because my disguises are flawless."

* * *

><p><em><span>Brooke<span>_

The most difficult thing with Seastone was the fact that you lost all your power the moment it touched your skin.

BUT I had no skin for it to touch! Yohoho!

But it still had an effect, so I could do nothing but hover above and around my body until Usopp removed the cuffs from my boney wrists.

"How are you feeling?" Chopper asked me.

"I have nothing to feel with! Yohoho!" I chuckled.

"He's fine."

"He's fine."

"He's fine."

"Shishishi."

"He's fine." They all agreed.

"So –"

There was the sound of the lock turning, and I made my body go limp. Usopp grabbed the Seastone cuffs, hiding them behind his back.

"Get in there," one of the Marine's growled, kicking someone in.

Robin fell to the floor, her hand instantly going to her stomach to protect it.

"Robin!"

"Robin-chwan!"

Luffy and Zoro were a bit more reserved with their greetings.

"Take a look at her boys, because this is the last glance you'll see of her until, perhaps, the day you die," the Marine laughed maliciously.

Zoro glared at him, then his gaze settled on Robin. She held her cuffed hands against her stomach, avoiding everyone's gazes.

"It's not your fault, Robin-chwan~!" Sanji said, sensing it immediately. "It's dumbass's fault for not taking better care of you!"

The vein in Zoro's temple looked ready to burst as he turned to Sanji and half-growled, "Don't you know how to shut up, love-cook."

"Don't you know how to take care of your child?" Sanji spat back.

All the while, Luffy remained silent.

"Brooke," Usopp got my attention. "Get rid of the Marine."

"I'm supposed to be dead," I whispered back.

"You're dead no matter how you look at it," Usopp muttered.

"YOHOHO!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. "You're right!"

In an instant I was by the Marine, who was surprised by my sudden shout, and perhaps the fact that a skeleton was standing and moving ever-so-lively. I grabbed his sword, tossing it to Zoro as he got to his feet to shout at Sanji. He didn't hesitate to catch it, and with nothing more than a fierce gaze and the blade in his hand, the Marine paled and in an instant put the door between us and him, locking it behind him with the solid click.

Robin, too, was pale, her hands clenched in fists. She looked like she was going to be sick. In an instant, Zoro was there beside her, making sure she was all right.

"Did they do anything to you?" he asked her, while Chopper checked her over.

"I'm fine," she murmured. "Just nauseous."

"They didn't do anything?" Zoro verified.

"They threatened, but nothing happened," Robin looked up. "I promise."

He searched her gaze for a long moment. The entire scene was so heart-wrenching –that is, if I had a heart!

"Isn't this great, Luffy?" I looked down at him.

Luffy only looked up at me, that unsettling frown set on his face.

"Who's she?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** On a side note, completely different than above, I have no idea how Haki effects the... effects of Seastone cuffs and the like. So until further notice, Luffy remains weak-ish. So does Chopper, and so on and so forth. If you actually know (and can prove it?), then please bring it to my attention :P

Also, I won't be responding to reviews that I haven't responded to already this time around. It's just been so long, I wouldn't know where to begin. I promise to start replying more immediately from now on. Gomenasai~! But I dooooooo really appreciate them all, and it really makes me smile to read them. So from now on, I'll DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY DEFINITELY respond. Promise. Promise promise promise. Because I need to shape up and balance everything, and if I don't make the effort it'll never get done. It's an awakening, you guys. Feel free to bask in the light as I shine ;)

But seriously, please vote for me (insert cutesy heart here)


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **I don't remember the last time I wrote ten MS word pages for a chapter. (Well, I do. And last time it was a LuNa fic [I think?]). But I did it. This is probably the legitimate longest chapter in the story. I mean, if you took away all the authors notes and such.

I don't have a lot to say. Tomorrow's the last day of voting for that contest. Thank you Goku's Daughter and Shadowonthewall6 for loving me so much :P

Thank you all, though, for consistently reading my work. It makes me happy. Truly. And all the reviews make my day when I'm sitting in the back room of my work and reading them. I just can't reply to them, because I hate navigating through websites on my phone. At least the reviews are in my email...

I think this story's wrapping up quite nicely. Do you?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're not coming aboard," Nami told me as we neared the ships.<p>

"I am," I told her, biting the inside of my cheeks. "You can't keep me from sorting through a mess I got us into."

"You didn't –"

"I did," I spoke firmly. "This all started with me. And I need to end it."

"Robin –" Franky began.

"You can't leave me out of this," I said. "And if you do, I'll find my own way."

"She's right," Nami said to Franky. "I'd rather her safe with us than doing something all on her own."

Franky only hesitated a moment longer before nodding his agreement.

There was a loud bang, and our heads swiveled to the Marine ships. Franky reacted quickly, his arm changing into a gun and shooting rapidly at the cannon ball before it was anywhere near us.

He turned back to us like nothing had happened. "If that's the case, then show her Usopp's invention."

"Is it done?" Nami asked.

"We just haven't been able to test it to see how much it can withhold. But I'd rather have something than nothing," Franky told her.

"Mm," Nami said, taking my hand and pulling me along. She led me to Usopp's workshop below the deck.

"What are you looking for?" I asked as she began digging through the mess.

"Something that will protect you and the fetus," Nami murmured, pushing a small pile aside. "Usopp, Franky and I have been working on it, though I've just been used for standard measurements."

"So what is it?"

"Ah! Here it is," Nami exclaimed, pulling something out of Usopp's mess. "It's a protective vest."

"It looks small," I murmured, taking it from her and holding it up in front of me.

"We made it adjustable," she said. "For your growing belly. Here, I'll help you put it on."

She took it from me, undoing the straps on the right shoulder and right waist. She held it open and I slipped into it. Nami did up the shoulder strap, but adjusted the lower part of the vest so that I was comfortable before doing up the waist once more.

* * *

><p>"How is it?" she asked.<p>

"Heavy," I murmured, touching the vest.

"Mm," Nami agreed. "I told them they need to work on making a lighter model. They're working on it. This is just the third version."

"What happened to the other ones?" I asked.

"They failed testing," Nami said simply.

Well, that made me feel safe.

"What were you testing them for?" I asked.

"How much they could withstand, like Franky said," Nami replied. "Luffy wore it while Usopp and Franky shot at him. There wasn't much left behind of the other vests."

"And how is this one different?"

"It's a completely new material. Franky has some confidence in it, since he said that it's the same base metal that he uses for himself," she looked at me. "I'd rather take the chance and have you wear something that has the possibility of working, rather than going without any kind of protection at all."

"Thank you," I told her, caressing the heavy attire over my stomach. I felt tears rising. I tried to hold them back, to wipe them away before Nami noticed, but I couldn't stop myself from crying.

"Robin, what's wrong?" Nami asked. "Is it too tight? Should I loosen it some more?"

"I just don't want to have to choose between having Zoro safe and sound or having the baby safe and sound," I tried wiping my tears. I hadn't even realized how much I feared losing the child that grew inside of me up until that moment.

"We won't let it come down to that," Nami said, gripping my hands tightly. "We will _never_ let it come down to that. By the time night falls tonight, we'll have you, Zoro and your child safe and sound on the Thousand Sunny."

Nami straightened up. "Now let's go and save our men."

* * *

><p><em><span>Mari<span>_

"Who's she?" the man that was no other than Straw-hat Luffy asked.

"It's Robin-chwan," the blond guy in the black suit said. It was clear in his voice that he thought his captain was an idiot. Did they even have a man like that in their crew?

"Hmmm," Straw-hat analyzed me. His eyes told me he wasn't an idiot. That he saw straight through my disguise. His eyes shifted over to the green-haired man beside me, the one that was anxious over me and my "pregnant" body.

"What's wrong, Luffy?" the skeleton asked. He was creepy. But I recognized him. The Soul King. Or "Humming Brooke".

Straw-hat frowned, crossing his arms over his chest and scratching his head. Once again he scrutinized me.

"Zoro, do me a favor," Long-nose said, gesturing to the cuffs.

"Mm," the green-haired man stood up, brandishing the sword. His had been taken away as soon as they were in custody. All of their weapons had been. What had been surprising was the number of weapons they'd harvested from the long-nose guy. Although it wasn't really weapons so much as weird types of ammunition. One of them had hit the ground and had turned into a huge plant rapidly as the men were carrying everything to the weaponry room.

It hadn't been pretty.

The green-haired man cut the cuffs of everyone except for the blond guy with the curly eyebrows.

"Oi!" the blond complained.

"Shut up, love cook."

"You don't even use your hands to fight."

"Yohoho, maybe it'll be a sight so see –Sanji sucking up to Zoro to get the cuffs removed. Too bad I don't have eyes to see with! Yohoho! Skull joke!"

"I swear, I'll strangle all of you idiots with these cuffs."

I swallowed hard. I went from being escorted in here to being surrounded by the Straw-hat pirates, no longer chained and helpless. Perhaps I'd bitten off more than I could chew.

"At least now we can escape," Long-nose said, getting to his feet.

"Do you know how many guards are out there?" I gripped the swordsman's arm.

"We can take them," Luffy said.

"You don't even have your weapons," I pointed out.

"I don't carry weapons," Luffy and Sanji said almost simultaneously. "We'll protect you."

"I –I don't want to put the baby in harms way," I forced tears to my eyes. "I got captured before –and they threatened me. What if the same thing happens?"

"I wouldn't let that happen," the swordsman spoke firmly.

"Please… Zoro," I gripped his arm tighter.

He was silent for a long moment.

"Zoro," I repeated, closing my eyes and placing his hand on my stomach. The only flaw in this plan was that my stomach didn't have a heart beat. Which I could give off the impression of a pregnant Robin, I couldn't reproduce the life that was inside of her.

"Go."

Everyone froze. The swordsman turned to his crew.

"Nami and Franky are close behind, I'm sure of it. So the rest of you go. Find your weapons, meet up with them. Take down as many of these damned Marines as possible. Then come back and get us."

"Are you sure?" Long-nose asked.

"I'll stay," The reindeer said.

"No, come on, Chopper," Luffy said, dusting himself off. "Let's go meet up with Nami."

"But, Luffy –"

"Chopper."

"Go, Chopper," I placed my hand on his head. "I'll be okay for a little while."

The swordsman finally cut the cuffs of the blond man, who didn't say a word of thanks.

The five of them stood at the door.

"We'll be back," Long-nose said.

"Robin-chwan, if you don't want me to leave, you need only ask," the blond said.

"Go," The swordsman and I said at the same time.

"A little while," Chopper said, patting my hand.

A little while was all I needed.

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"It's the rest of the Straw-hats!"

"Don't attack us or we'll harm your precious pregnant crew member!" One man cried out.

"That's right! We have her in custody!"

"Who do you have in custody?" I asked, dropping down behind them. I crossed my arms in front of me, and my extra arms popped up and twisted their bodies in unnatural ways.

"It's Nico Robin!" someone exclaimed, just as a poisonous dart hit their neck.

"Nice, Harumi," Nami dropped down to my side. "Don't rush ahead, Robin. You'll hurt yourself."

"A pregnant woman is surpassing the thief and the cyborg," I replied. "Don't tell me you're just jealous."

"As if, I've taken down twice as many men as you," she told me, grinning over her shoulder as she twirled her clima-tact.

"What are you talking about? All the men lying here are due to my amazing reflexes and abilities."

"While you two are arguing, Harumi's knocking quite a few down," Franky said. "Come on, we don't even know which of these ships our nakama are on. Let's keep moving."

It may seem strange for them to be having a competition with a pregnant woman –a competition similar to the ones that Zoro and Sanji often had. But it was needed to keep us all on our toes. I needed to feel capable. They needed to feel like they were protecting me.

"Let's split into two groups," I suggested. "We'll cover more that way."

"It doesn't matter how long it takes us. I'd rather do this safely," Franky said.

"And I just want to find Zoro," I said firmly. "The longer we fight, the more tired we get."

"She's right," Nami said. "I'll go with Robin. You and Harumi be the bigger distraction. Cause all the havoc you can. We'll find Luffy and the others."

Nami took my hand, and the two of us ran for the nearest door. Quickly, I produced ears and a pair of lips on Franky's arm.

"You want a distraction?" I heard him murmur. His body started shifting –"I'll make the biggest distraction you've ever seen."

"Let's go," Nami said, tugging on my arm once more. "Let's go find the idiot father and our idiot captain."

"Whom we love very much," I smiled.

"I've been wondering how mentally sane I am," Nami whispered, pulling me into the shadows of a room as a bunch of men turned the next corner.

"Everyone in our crew is a bit bonkers," I told her.

"It's probably why we're so amazing," she responded.

"Well, look at it this way," I let her lead once again.

"Look at it what way?" she asked as we rounded a corner, coming face to face with the second wave of men headed for the deck. Nami prepared herself for battle immediately, while I hung back and made replicas of myself. The men attacked, but the army of Nami and all the 'me's defended move for move.

"Look at it what way?" Nami repeated, defending herself against a mighty swing, then returning the blow.

"Well," I began as one of my doubles took the sword from an unsuspecting man and used it to defend herself.

"We have a child for a captain," I side-stepped an attack, "And a nearly blind swordsman as a first mate."

One of my doubles landed herself in a corner, unable to get away. I let her disappear just as a deadly blow came her way.

"A conniving thief with a serious love for money as our navigator," I continued, letting another one of me vanish as a gunshot was fired, "A pervert for a cook."

Nami wiped out more men, the pile steadily growing.

"A liar as our shooter," I knocked a few men unconscious.

"A pregnant archaeologist that used to be our enemy," Nami added, swinging her clima-tact one final time.

"An animal for a doctor, and a cyborg for a shipwright," I panted, slightly out of breath as we looked over the mess we'd made. "A skeleton as our musician and an androphobic poison and disguise master for our bartender. And what joins us all together? An impossible dream. You want to know what that makes us?"

"The best crew on the Grand Line?" Nami wiped the sweat from her brow.

"A bunch of lunatics," I corrected. "But we're an unstoppable bunch of lunatics. It's why it's better when we're together… You all taught me that. And reminded me when I had forgotten."

"If you keep on going on like that, I'm going to tear up," Nami grinned, hugging me with one arm. "Let's go get the rest of the lunatics."

There was a loud explosion above us, and through my ear on Franky's arm I heard him shout happily.

"We still have a lot of ship to cover," Nami said.

I chuckled, "All the ships are made the same way. Straight to the bottom –let's go find which captives are aboard this ship."

"Maybe we'll find gold along the way," Nami suggested.

"But first, can we find a place were I can use the washroom?" I asked, the feeling coming over me suddenly.

"Pregnant women and their small bladders."

"I'll remember to tell you the same thing whenever you get pregnant," I muttered.

We checked every door until we did stumble across a bathroom. As I was in the bathroom, Nami spoke to me through the door. Then suddenly a large commotion erupted outside.

I wish I could say I rushed to get out there and help her, but as it is, a pregnant woman's bladder could very well be considered endless.

By the time I did finish, everything seemed to have settled down. Cautiously, I opened the door.

"Na–?"

"Robin!" A familiar voice exclaimed. "It really is you!"

"I told you," Nami and Luffy said, folding their arms the same way.

"Where's Zoro?" I asked, looking at all the faces of my nakama. Through my connection with Franky, I told him about how we were all united.

"We just left you with Zoro in the room they'd held us prisoner in. Well, we'd thought it was you but –" Usopp went on.

"I told you," Luffy repeated.

"Yohoho! Robin –nice to see you! If only I had eyes to see you with! Yohoho! Skull joke!"

"You used that one last time, bonehead," Usopp scolded him.

"I just work with what I've got. Or what I'm lacking. Which are ears to hear you with, Usopp. Skull joke! Yohoho!"

"You left Zoro with an imposter?" I asked, my heart squeezing slightly.

"It's fine. We'll get the idiot back," Sanji said.

"I'm coming with you," I told them.

"Leave it to us, Robin," Chopper said. "We can fight to our heart's content knowing that you're safe."

"I want to come. Nami."

"You're sweating, Robin. You've done well up to this point, but I can't let you put much more stress on your body."

"I'm not moving from this spot," I told them.

"Robin," Chopper changed his form, ready to pick me up and carry me off.

"Wait!" I said, reaching for the bathroom door. "I lied. I won't leave this spot after I go to the bathroom."

"A pregnant woman's bladder," Usopp muttered, crossing his arms. Nami smacked the side of his head. "Oi!"

"I'll be right back," I told them.

I entered the washroom, closing the door tightly. I actually did have to pee a little bit already. I couldn't help it. But more than that, the reason for re-entering the bathroom was to create a duplicate of myself that they could take back to the Thousand Sunny.

With a sigh, I crawled into the small closet that was in the corner of the room. Knowing Nami, she'd check the room, because she knew how I was.

The duplicate walked into the hallway to join the others.

"_Now I won't leave this spot_."

"Robin."

"_I mean it."_

"Please, Robin," Chopper begged.

"Chopper, take her and go –" Luffy told him. "All of you, go on –get your weapons. I'll go back and get Zoro, okay, Robin?"

"_Luffy, please._" Chopper lifted me up over his shoulder. I wrestled again him.

"Nami, you go too."

"But –"

"Go, Nami," Luffy told her. "I'll be back. Shishishi."

Everyone left, leaving Luffy standing outside the door alone. After a while the door opened, and I was slightly horrified that he may use the washroom while I was there in the closet.

"Come on, Robin," Luffy opened the closet. "Let's go get Zoro."

"How'd you know?" I asked, taking his hand as he helped me out of the closet.

"I'm your captain," he grinned. "Of course I know."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **I can't believe it's been soooooo long since I've posted a story/chapter, but I'm sad to say the next month or two won't be any better. Exams are coming fast, and graduating year isn't the easiest to balance with work, friends, and the thing I love to do the most -writing. And it's unfortunate that the thing I love is what's had to be cut down :/

However, I'll be trying my utmost hardest to get the next two chapters of this written and posted. I don't think it should take much more than that to finish the story -Just know that I have no intentions of leaving it unfinished :)

Anyway, I've kept you from reading this one long enough, so I'll let you get right to it! :)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Luffy paced me as we ran, but I just wanted to get to Zoro, fast, before anything happened to him.

"He can take care of himself for a while, Robin," Luffy told me. I couldn't run far ahead of him, because only he knew the way back to Zoro.

"Just get me there, alright?" I said impatiently, panting heavily as I waited for him to catch up.

"Calm down," Luffy's gaze was hard, making me swallow hard, but I pressed forward. "Oi! Robin –"

"Luffy –Zoro –"

"Stop," Luffy grabbed my shoulder. "I brought you along to protect you –not to let you wear yourself out. Panicking isn't going to do anything, Robin."

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I murmured, opening my eyes once again. "Sorry. I just want things to return to normal."

"There's a baby growing inside of you," Luffy let his hand fall to his side. "Things won't be normal ever again."

I clenched my fist as he turned away, and began to walk down the hall. Tears threatened to overflow.

"But you know what?" Luffy turned around, grinning as he walked backwards. "I like adventure."

A sob of relief escaped from my lips and I quickly swiped at my eyes.

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed as I hurried to catch up.

I wiped my eyes again as I laughed too.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><em><span>Zoro<span>_

"Ow," Robin said, holding onto her stomach.

"Are you okay?" I asked, pressing a hand to her back and leaning in.

"The baby just… kicked really hard. I think it's the stress," she forced a smile.

"We should have gone with them."

"No –I don't think I could handle the Marine's again," her face held a small sign of panic.

"I could handle them. You had so many of us here to protect you," I muttered.

"And I'm very, very lucky," she reassured me, reaching out to touch my face.

Imposter. Fake. I could see right through her. She looked nothing like Robin. But everyone else had seemed to think that this woman _was_ her. I wanted to know why she even bothered.

I shivered in disgust when she touched my skin. She was trying to manipulate the situation. I could kill her. Right here. Right now. Or at least knock her out and just walk out of here like the rest of the crew. Instead I remained there, not completely sure of the reason.

Suppose she knew the real whereabouts of Robin?

There was shouting outside, and I picked up the sword.

"I'm sure they're just going after the others," she said.

"As if that's any better," I snorted, looking down at her.

She used that moment, to engulf my mouth with hers. I didn't know what was happening at first –she was a fake, after all –until I swallowed something hard.

I shoved her away, coughing. I tried to throw up whatever she had forced down my throat, but it didn't come.

"Now, now, Roronoa," the woman said, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. "That's no way to treat a pregnant woman."

"What was it?" I asked, feeling a numb tingling starting in my fingers.

"A paralyzer," she said, sticking two fingers in her mouth and letting out a high pitched whistle. "I'm just glad you stayed behind, Zoro. I'm not sure what I would have done if all of you had left. At least I can work with some dignity."

"You're an idiot, you know," I tried wiggling my fingers, but they no longer had any feeling.

"An idiot?"

"If you hadn't come in, in the first place, then the others wouldn't have escaped because of you."

Her foot collided with the side of my face, knocking me back. I didn't go far, but now I wasn't on my hands and knees, though I couldn't really move my body to get them out of their positioning.

"Don't get me wrong. We would have still escaped," I said, feeling my lips go numb.

She wouldn't talk to me anymore. Instead she walked to the door, opened it, and waved a couple of men in. They came in, picked me up, and then transported me out of there, moving me deeper into the labyrinth of the ship.

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"Hmm," Luffy tilted his head to one side, then to the other side. "I guess they left."

"Thanks, captain," I said, almost a little too bitterly as I surveyed the scene. The broken door, the sword on the ground, and several pieces of cuffs –this _was_ where they had held them. "Where're Zoro, and the fake Robin?"

"I don't know," Luffy said. "They were here when I left. Well, let's go find them."

I clenched my fist, angry.

"Robin."

I unclenched my fist, struck by the hardness of his voice. I looked up at him, surprised.

"We'll find him."

I nodded. He observed me for a long moment before turning and exiting the room. I picked up the sword before following after him. Luffy walked with his hands folded behind his neck, glancing into the occasional room as we went along the hallway. We hadn't been walking long before a single Marine passed before us at an intersection of hallways.

"Hey! Maybe that guy knows something!" Luffy exclaimed. "Oiiii~!"

The Marine looked at us, his face going white instantly. "Eeeeeek!"

"Oiii~!" Luffy called again, beginning to run forward. I hurried after him.

"I don't know anything!" the Marine shouted back as he took off running.

"I didn't even ask you anything yet!" Luffy shouted back. Under his breath he muttered, "Baka."

"That's right," the Marine slowed down. So did Luffy. I panted heavily as I caught up. "What do you need?"

"Do you know where my swordsman is?" Luffy asked without hesitation.

"Swordsman," the Marine took a gulp of air. "Care to describe him to me?"

"Mmm…" Luffy thought hard. "He's short. Kind of looks angry. His eyebrows are always like this," Luffy pushed his eyebrows down with his hands."

"You're going to have to do better than that," the Marine shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. Can you give me any more details?"

"No… But I can draw him! Have a pen and paper on you?" Luffy asked.

"Uh…" the Marine felt around in his pockets.

"Roronoa Zoro," I said angrily, fed up with their exchange. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" he said, beginning to run away again, but this time I caught him by the legs, dragging him down. "I don't know where Roronoa is."

"Then tell me what you don't know," I reached down to grab him, to shake him furiously, but Luffy stopped me.

"I don't know that Zoro was paralyzed, and I don't know that he was moved to the holding cell on the third floor –I don't know, I don't know, I don't –" Luffy hit him over the head, knocking him out.

"I guess he doesn't know," Luffy's shoulders sagged.

I pressed my lips together. "Come, Luffy, let's go."

"But we don't even know where we're going!" he said, dragging his feet.

"Oh, I have a general idea."

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

I glanced back, past the fake Robin and down the hall, hoping that Luffy and the real Robin would come bounding around the corner as if they hadn't just taken off running into the face of danger.

"This way," Franky led us through the twisting paths of the ship, heading for the room that held all of our weapons.

"How does he know?" Usopp whispered to me.

"He's a cyborg –he has to have a better sense of direction than Luffy and Zoro," Chopper muttered from behind us.

"He must have some computer-system that senses and recognizes the layout of the ship," Usopp said, getting a little excited at the idea.

"Or he's bugged all of our favourite items with tracking devices so that he knows where we are at all times," Chopper, too, was getting excited. "Zoro's swords, Luffy's hat, Nami's clima-tact –"

"Sanji's eyebrow –"

"His eyebrow?" Chopper repeated doubtfully. "No, it'd have to be his package of cigarettes."

"I still just don't get why it's so curly."

"That and this aren't related –"

Sanji kicked the both of them.

"Or he could be following the signs," he suggested, pointing to an arrow on the wall as we ran. Underneath read "Armory –this way."

"I like our explanations better," Usopp muttered, rubbing the place where Sanji's kick had landed.

"Let's just get our shit and get out of here," Sanji muttered.

"Come on, Robin," I took the replica's hand, urging her forward like I would the real one. Under my breath I muttered, "I guess it's a good thing we have idiots for nakama."

She must have heard me, because a small smile broke out on her face as we hurried to keep up with the others.

And behind me, nearly as quiet as I had been, came "Thank you."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** It's been suuuuuuch a long time. And I'm sooooo sorrry. Between school ending, and going on a small vacation at the beginning of the summer, to getting a large increase of hours at work, it's just so hard to sit down and just... write. But I'm doing it now. And I _really_ plan on keeping it up. Fingers crossed that I follow through! Thank you so much for waiting so kindly :)

So here it is. The second last chapter. I think one more should just about do it. I was going to finish it all in one go, but this chapter ended at such a suspenseful place. I had to decide to stop and slap another chapter together instead -which I will begin writing immediately. Who knows, maybe it'll be up tomorrow after work (though that I can't promise indefinitely. Soon though, I'm sure!)

And then, once this is completed, we leap into Freak Show! Needless to say, I'm pretty damn excited. The idea behind it enthuses me to no end, but I didn't want to start writing it while I was still writing this story. One big project at a time!

Well, I'll let you leap right into the story!  
>Here's my half-birthday present. But instead of receiving, I'm giving ;)<p>

Enjoy~

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

* * *

><p><em><span>Zoro<span>_

"You messed up, Mari," a gruff looking man paced back and forth. "Just admit it."

"We got Zoro –"

"And now we have the _rest_ of the Straw-hat Crew running around on this ship. You. Messed. Up." he emphasized each word, stopping in front of her and nearly spitting the words in her face. He scowled and began pacing. "Big time."

Silence.

"We had that damned Straw-hat!" he shouted angrily. "In the palm of our hands!" he turned to her, his hand open and palm up. He clasped it closed, clenching it into a tight fist and pounding the nearest wall. "And he's gone!"

"We can get them all," she took a tentative step forward. "I will –"

"_You_ will do nothing," he turned on his heel to face her. "_You_ will never do a thing again unless it involves following proper protocol. You will do what I say, and there will _never_ be any room for negotiations. Is that understood?"

She was silent, staring at the ground in front of her. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

If I could smirk, I would have. But I was still paralyzed.

"Is it, or is it not, understood?" he barked.

"Yes, sir," she shouted, lifting her head and staring straight ahead, any self-pity she felt a moment ago being covered by her Marine upbringing.

"You are dismissed," he waved her away.

She sent one last evil glare my way before leaving the room. Slowly, the man walked over to me. His shoulders were wide, his arms buff. But he didn't threaten me. And his breath stunk. In this sense he kind of reminded me of Luffy. What was that? Meat?

"We'll be using you," he began slowly, "to capture the other pirates. If what Mari says is true, then we can optimize the part where you're the father of the demonic offspring."

Somehow, a growl escaped my throat. His reaction was to punch me in the gut. A grunt uncontrollably flew from my lips.

"I can't even begin to comprehend how this must all be for you. Do you want to know what we'll do the moment we get your precious pirate-spawn-carrier?" he leaned in close, his breath hot on my ear. "Well, let's just leave it at the fact that we could never let such horrible offspring be born to this world." I glared at him as he backed away, but he just laughed. "What? I'll be doing you a favor. Children are horrible things. They stink, they cry, they're absolutely disgusting. A man such as you should appreciate something like this. You might even come to thank me one day."

He turned and left the room, and a dozen Marines filed in, surrounding me –though keeping their distance. I may have been paralyzed, but I was still a threat, after all.

A tingling sensation danced across my fingertips. I closed my eyes and imagined them moving ever so slightly. The corner of my mouth twitched with success.

Yes, I was still a dangerous man.

* * *

><p><em><span>Mari<span>_

I couldn't believe my world was crashing around me. Going into there, I'd had so much confidence being able to portray Robin. I studied her for years! Then suddenly, not only is she within reach, but she's _pregnant_. It was the devil's spawn that had complicated things. Women change when they're pregnant. Little things, but they change.

It was because of this, I'm sure, that things fell through. Why Straw-hat Luffy saw straight through me…

My fist made hard contact with the wall.

How long had it taken for me to get to the position I stood at less than two hours ago? How much trust had once been on my shoulders? How much rested on them now?

Mind you, there were other complications as well. Who on earth had expected the skeleton to be able to move around, or that he would be able to scare the Marine who had guided me in, snatch his swords and make a mess of things.

But if she weren't pregnant, I'm certain that I would have been able to think rationally as Robin. I'd be able to convince everyone that it was for the better to stay there, even if it just meant waiting for the remaining Straw-Hats to storm in, attempting rescue.

It was her fault.

Why did she have to be pregnant?

The devil's spawn.

If only the thing didn't exist…

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

"This way," I grabbed Luffy's arm as he turned down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Shishishi, of course!" he grinned as if he knew it all along.

"Halt! Stop right there!" a group of Marine's ran towards us, in the direction we needed to go.

"Luffy."

I didn't need to say anything to begin with –my captain was already there, taking them all on. He grinned as if it were a friendly brawl, even if it were anything but. But most things did seem to take the form of a game to him.

"That ended too soon," Luffy sighed as we ran away from the mess of Marines, bruised and battered on the ground.

"I'm sure more will come," I reassured him.

"Mm," he agreed. As we ran past another linking hallway, Luffy pulled me to a stop –"Wait!"

"What is it?" I turned, getting slightly frustrated with him. We needed to move. Find Zoro. Rescue Zoro.

"I know her," Luffy had his neck stretched back and looking around the corner. "Imposter Robin!"

"What?"

"She was the one we left with Zoro –I'm sure she'll know where he is!"

"I still can't believe you left him with an imposter," outrage built inside of me.

"So? You do it all the time?" he shrugged, already racing ahead to get to the little bitch that they'd left the father of my child with. But the anger inside of me disappeared. He was right –in the long run, I had betrayed Zoro as much as this imposter had betrayed Zoro.

"You!" A shrill voice echoed down the long hallway –"This is all _your_ fault."

"My fault?" Luffy repeated, tilting his head to the side, not comprehending the situation at hand.

"Not you –_you_," it took both Luffy and I to realize she was talking about me.

"I beg your pardon?" I crossed my arms in front of me, resting them lightly atop of my ever-growing stomach.

She shoved Luffy aside, approaching me with a venomous look in her eye. "If you hadn't thrown unforeseen circumstances into the mix, all these years wouldn't have been for nothing."

"Unforeseen circumstances?" I questioned.

"The spawn! Your demonic offspring!" she shrieked.

"Mari." I looked up to see a big man standing behind Luffy. Luffy glanced up, just as surprised as I was to see him.

"L-lieutenant," Mari stumbled.

"I told you to only do as I say," the gruff man said.

"Yes'ir," she murmured, cowering slightly, a complete one-eighty of the woman she'd been moments ago.

"This is your final chance to redeem yourself," he spoke again.

The crazed woman perked up.

"Do not let these two escape."

* * *

><p><em><span>Nami<span>_

"That was easier than I thought it'd be," Franky said, holding all three of Zoro's swords. He gave them a little practice swing, two in one hand, one in the other. The blades, even though they were sheathed, came too close for comfort to a thick metal table.

"Give those to me before you break them," I scowled, pulling them from his grip. "We got everything?"

"Yes, yes and yes," Usopp grinned happily.

"Yohoho," Brooke laughed, holding his own precious cane against his thin body. "It's so wonderful to feel –"

"Stop," Usopp's smile faded instantly. "I do not want to hear any skull jokes while we are still on this ship."

As Brooke opened his mouth to retort, I interrupted the two of them, "Let's get going. We'll go help Luffy."

"We can't all go," Franky said suddenly.

"What?"

"We need to prepare the Thousand Sunny to leave –Harumi can't do that all on her own. I didn't even think of that when I came down to meet up with you guys," Franky shook his head.

"So go," I told him. "Usopp, you too." I hesitated before adding, "And you, Brooke."

"And Robin," Chopper chipped in.

"And Robin," I nodded, nearly forgetting she was 'there.' She'd been so quiet as of late.

"Yohoho," Brooke chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Chopper asked him.

"I'm about to get off this ship," Brooke's grin bore down on Usopp.

"Dammit," Usopp muttered under his breath. "Why can't I catch a break?"

"Just go," I pushed them ahead. "Chopper, Sanji and I will meet up with Luffy and Zoro. As soon as we have them, we'll head back right away to Sunny."

"Hurry," Robin murmured in my ear as she passed. I watched her for a long second before nodding.

"Of course."

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

A slow grin spread across Mari's face. Almost simultaneously, she and the lieutenant attacked me and Luffy respectively. Thank goodness for fast reflexes though, as Luffy pushed off the wall, barreled towards me and wrapped me protectively in his rubber body.

"You will not harm my nakama," he said sternly. "Your battle's with me. Both of you."

"We won't let either of you get away," the lieutenant cracked his knuckles, the sound loud in the otherwise silent hallway.

"Oh, we'll get away," Luffy licked his lips, his eyes darting from side to side, trying to figure out what to do to keep the two of us safe.

If we split up, Mari will chase after me. If we stay together, either one of them could direct an attack my way. And it's not that I didn't think I could handle myself, but I did have to wonder how well the vest Franky made would actually work in the end. I didn't have the liberty to fight freely –and if that weren't apparent in the first place, it was when I suddenly felt it move, catching me off guard. Both Mari and the lieutenant noticed, seizing the opportunity to pounce.

Unsure of what else to do quite yet, Luffy swung me up in his arms, dodging both of their attacks with relative ease. He shot past them, aiming in the direction the two of them had come.

"I can fight," I told him, glancing behind us as they pursued.

"I'm not putting you in danger," he said, skidding to a halt at the next split in the hall.

"Watch out," I exclaimed, as a shot rang through the air.

"This way it is," Luffy said, taking off at random. He didn't pay attention as he chose a random route through the ship's maze-like layout. He put me down suddenly around a corner, thinking we'd put a safe distance between them and us, then took off back in the direction we'd come.

Despite not having done the running myself, my heart was racing. The baby moved again, seeming to be restless. I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly. Repeated.

Gunshots were heard down the hall. I swallowed. Another deep breath. Crossing my arms, I put an eye on the wall in front of me, so I could see clearly down the hall without revealing my position, just in time to see Luffy be thrown back from a large explosion. Smoke filled the hall, smelling awful and acidic and masking the scene from my view –I no longer could see what was going on. Being pregnant, my senses seemed more sensitive, and the smell left by the smoke made me want to throw up.

"Robin, run," Luffy called out, coughing.

But there was a battle of pride within me. Did I run, and prove everybody right? That I needed protection; that I needed to be constantly watched over? Or did I stay, and help, and prove that I could hold my own?

So instead of running or fighting, I stood there, surrounded in smoke, unsure of what was right, what I should do. All the while, the smoke burned my eyes and lungs. Unable to help myself, I coughed.

"There you are," Mari came out of the smoke, appearing right in front of me. She raised her gun, aiming it straight for my stomach. "Sorry, Nico Robin, but this is where your reign ends."

"Her reigns just beginning," an all-too-familiar voice said from behind her. The smoke cleared a little, revealing the speaker. Mari swung around to face Zoro, who looked extremely pissed. Nami stood just behind him.

"You were paralyzed," Mari said dumbly, unable to completely grasp what was going on.

Zoro ignored her, his gaze not leaving hers as the smoke continued to disappear. I could still feel it there in the air though. It churned my stomach, and my eyes were still watery. "You're going to wish you never even heard the names of the Straw-Hat Pirates."

From behind her, I could see Mari's movements clearly, including the moment she reached into her back pocket to retrieve a small dagger. I almost laughed –if she thought that would be able to stand against Zoro's blades, she had another thing coming to her. But in a swift motion, she kicked Zoro square in the chest, then turned to me, shoving the knife into my chest.

Zoro roared angrily, picking up Mari and throwing her down the hallway. Luffy –done with the lieutenant, ran towards us.

"Robin!" Chopper rushed forward, Nami following closely behind. I coughed, this time blood spraying from my lips.

I saw Sanji round the corner, how he paused to take in the situation, the anger that washed over his face. I saw Nami's face distort as she grabbed her clima-tact, ready to attack Mari. I saw Zoro drop to his knees beside me.

That was the last thing I saw.

Zoro.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Gah! The last chapter. And I finished it before midnight.

I've updated this story twice in two days -so if you haven't read chapter 13, I advise you go do so before proceeding.

I'm so tired that I'm not going to bother reading through this and checking for mistakes -my apologies for any mistakes in spelling, grammar, etc. Or homophones. When I'm tired, I tend to throw in homophones...

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Like, a lot. I'm not sure if you're aware or not, but I love scenes with intense emotion. And though this all, I've really come to like writing from Zoro's perspective.

Also, I'd like to remind people I read the manga, not watch the anime, so when I say Robin's eyes are brown -they are to me! So... rawr.

Anyway, alas, each story must end, and I really hope that you enjoy the final chapter. I think we can start looking forward to Freak Show. Suki (for those of you that don't know, Brooke's love interest[see "Down Under" and "To Hit a Funny Bone"]) will be joining us once again! And hopefully I'll be able to get a few one-shots up. And there's possibly a collab coming -if my partner in crime and I would actually decide on all the details.

Big plans, big plans... So little time. But I really want to become as active as I once was on this site! So stay tuned! :D

Last thing -some of your reviews really make me smile, and I really, really, really regret not having the time to reply, the way I used to. I used to set aside an hour -sometimes two -to reply to all the reviews as thoughtfully as I could (working with whatever you gave me). But I just want to let you know how awesome all of you guys are. It's great to be flipping through my email on my phone and read the reviews you leave me -and during a long day at work, it really gives me a boost of energy. So thank you _so_ much for being so witty and kind. You all rock :)

Well... enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

* * *

><p><em><span>Zoro<span>_

I lifted her into my arms despite Chopper's protests, and began carrying her away from the bloody mess she'd been lying on. I needed to get her out of there. Needed to get her to the safety of Thousand Sunny. Needed her to pull through. Needed her to smile, laugh and say 'I got careless.'

"Zoro, I need to check her out, before we move her," Chopper said behind me.

"Let's get her off the ship quickly," Sanji, for once, was on my side. "The place is hectic. We need to go –there are other Marine ships out there. We need to secure her safety."

Chopper hesitated briefly before nodding. He glanced at Nami, who stood over a lifeless Mari. In the haze of that moment, I couldn't tell whether or not she was dead or simply unconscious. All I know is that Luffy was holding her back as tears rolled down her face.

"Let's go," I said to the two of them, trying to hide the jumble of emotions lying just beneath the surface. I wanted to attack. I wanted to break something. I wanted to curl up beside Robin and just hold her hand, praying she'll be okay.

Nami took one final look at Mari before nodding, wiping the tears that streamed down her face. "This way."

"Wait, Zoro," Sanji grabbed my arm as I began running after Nami.

"What?" I barked at him.

"Let me take her to the infirmary –I run faster. I'll her there quickly," he told me.

I hesitated only briefly. I wanted her safe and better as soon as possible –and he was quicker than me.

"Do you know the way?" Nami asked him.

"I do," Chopper said, climbing onto Sanji's shoulder as he gently took Robin from me. "Let's go, Sanji."

Sanji took off, carrying the two of them with ease.

"Let's get going," Nami nudged me forward, although I didn't need it. I began chasing after Sanji, but after he turned the second corner he was gone.

"This way," Nami began leading us.

"Did you kill her?" I asked bluntly.

"I wish." was all she said in reply.

"You should have," was my response.

Surprisingly, we ran into few Marines along the way, though I chalked it up to everybody else taking care of them on the way down. I kept wanting to run faster, but could only keep pace with Nami as she knew the way and I didn't. Although I had confidence in my sense of direction, I didn't want to take a chance of getting lost right then.

It seemed to take forever to burst into the open air on the deck of the ship. No longer having to rely on Nami, I rushed on ahead, leaping clean over the distance between the Marine ship and Sunny, landing on lawn deck. I rushed up to the kitchen, using it as a short cut to get to the infirmary. Sanji didn't say a word as he sat at the table, watching me

"How's she doing?" I threw the door open.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Chopper began, glancing up at me as he worked. "But that's minor in the long run. It would have been worse –if not for the vest Franky designed. She probably would have been hit in the heart, but the knife had glided off of it and above it. It ripped through some tissue, but it's also minor, for the most part…"

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"N-nothing," Chopper said, diverting his eyes away.

"Liar," I snapped. "Tell me."

"There's the possibility that the tissue might not heal properly…"

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning she might not be able to use her left hand as well as she used to," Chopper looked up at me. "It's a small chance, but a chance we have to mind. We need to make sure it heels properly, so that Robin can… be Robin again."

I nodded, "And our child?"

"So long as we can get that blood into Robin, the baby will be fine. Send Usopp in –he has the same blood type as her," Chopper said, getting the tubes and machines ready.

I strolled to the door that lead immediately onto the deck, threw it open much like I had through the kitchen and shouted, "Oi –Usopp!"

"That was –never mind," Chopper shook his head slightly as he continued with what he was doing.

Usopp appeared quickly, showing up through the kitchen.

"We need your blood," I told him bluntly. He paled slightly, but when he saw Robin lying there, he simply nodded.

"Zoro, she'll be fine. You can go and grab a bite to eat. Or –"

I cut Chopper off, "I'll stay."

He didn't seem surprised, "Fine."

* * *

><p><em><span>Robin<span>_

I swallowed, my throat feeling incredibly dry. I pried my eyes open slowly, staring at the wooden ceiling overhead and wondering, momentarily, where I was, and what had happened. Slowly, my sense of being came back to me, and I gasped as pain ripped through my body.

"Robin," a hand squeezed mine tightly, and I glanced over to see Zoro there beside me, I took in my surroundings. The infirmary. Injured. Dagger. Mari. It all came back to me. "Robin?"

"Th-thirsty," I tried to wet my lips, but ultimately failed. My mouth was so dry.

"I'll get you something to drink," he told me, bending down to kiss my cheek. As he left, I realized Chopper was also in the room.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Pained," I rose my right hand to my left shoulder, looking down as I toughed the bandages. My throat constricted tightly and painfully as I spoke, "That woman –"

"Stabbed you –but Nami got her," Chopper attempted at gentle humor.

"The baby –"

"-is fine. Healthy, even. We've been keeping fluids going through you while you've been out. Usopp donated blood. We stitched up and bandaged the injury… Just be careful not too move it too brashly. If it doesn't heal properly, you increase the chance of it acting up in the future. You might be unable to lift your arm higher than your shoulder, or your ability to grip things with your left hand… We can't be sure how great of an effect it will be."

"So don't do anything irrational," I chuckled lightly. "Well, I've been moved back to square one."

Zoro came back in, holding a glass of water. He sat down beside me on the small bed, handing it to me carefully. He brushed a long strand of hair behind my ear, and I could see tears beading in his eyes, "I love you."

"Can we have a moment alone?" I asked Chopper, who was already beginning to shift from one foot to the other awkwardly as he watched us. And I understood why. Zoro usually left sweet sentiments for when the two of us were alone.

"Mm," he nodded, scurrying to the kitchen.

The moment the door shut behind him, Zoro had his arms wrapped around me –gently, so not to injure me further.

"I don't remember ever being so scared in my life," he murmured against my ear.

I closed my eyes as a shiver rushed through me. He kissed my forehead, pushing the hair out of the way with a strong, tender hand, then rested his chin on top of my head.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," I told him, feeling tears well up underneath my eyelids. "I'm sorry."

"What's there to be sorry about?' he mumbled, kissing my forehead again.

"For always leaving you with an imposter," I lifted my good arm around him, pulling my face into his chest.

"It's okay," he told me, beginning to run his fingers through my hair. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," I pulled away to look at him, but he looked away, his face a little red. "I could have just sat down with you and talked about it –"

"I wouldn't have listened," he admitted. "Not back then. Beside," he said, as I began to respond, "I understand why you did it now. I had a lot of time to think while waiting for you to wake up."

I began crying all over again. I'm not even sure I could chalk it up to my pregnant emotions. Zoro pulled me into a slightly tighter embrace, still worried about hurting me, and I cried into his arms.

Then suddenly I froze, going rigid.

"What's wrong?" he pulled away, looking at my intently with puffy eyes.

"The baby just…" my voice drifted off as it happened again. Suddenly I was grinning, taking his wrist in my hand and directing his hand over my stomach, "There."

"What are –" he stopped mid sentence as he felt it. He placed both hands on my stomach, and I watched as one of the toughest men I knew was reduced to child-like behavior as he continued to feel the baby moving inside of my belly.

"He's going to be strong," I rested a hand on the top my stomach, gazing at Zoro. "Just like his father."

"No," Zoro pulled me down for a full kiss on the lips. "Like his mother."

* * *

><p>"Check mate," I smiled as I beat Nami in a game of Chess. We sat in the aquarium, around the small counter that surrounded the main mast. Above us, there was a loud explosion –one of many. Nami and I didn't even flinch.<p>

"How's the arm doing?" Nami asked, knocking over her king. "I'm done playing for now."

"Done losing?" I flashed her a grin, gathering up the pieces to put them away. "And my arm's good. It doesn't hurt." _For the most part_.

"That's good," she smiled as she rested her elbow on the counter. "It's been a few months, and Chopper said it should be good now, but you never know."

"No, you don't," I agreed, drumming my fingers on the counter, wondering what would keep me occupied next. Then, "-Oh!" A contraction. I'd had a few before the game of chess, but that one had taken me by surprise, a little bit stronger than the others. But I didn't really pay them any mind –I had the same sort of contractions for the past few weeks. Chopper assured me they were nothing.

"What?" Nami asked, anxiousness on her face instantly.

"Nothing," I said, frowning slightly. "I'm fine." And it was true. "I guess if we're done playing chess, I'll read."

"Mm," she nodded. "I'll go grab my book and join you down here."

"You can't lose in reading," I rolled my eyes at her.

She flashed a grin over her shoulder as she opened the door. With it open, everything was louder –gun shots, shouting. Through the doorway, I saw Luffy get thrown into the railing of the lawn deck, breaking it and going overboard. Just as the door closed, I saw a rubbery arm stretch up and beyond the vision of the doorway.

I took a deep breath, getting up to go and grab my book. I still had three weeks until I was due. Which was great, because my back and feet were killing me. I waddled –yes, waddled –over to the bench to pick up my book.

And halfway there, my water broke.

I stood there, not really sure of what to do, since Chopper was with everyone else, having fun in a battle with some unknown pirate crew. I lowered myself into a sitting position on the bench, placing a hand on my stomach as pain hit home. Letting out a pained breath, I closed my eyes.

"Robin, are you okay?" Nami re-entered the room. I opened my eyes to see her hurrying towards me, and as I opened my mouth to warn her, saw her slip on where I had been standing when my water broke.

I wrinkled my nose slightly in disgust.

"Wha-?" Nami looked momentarily confused. Then it clicked, "Is this –?"

Before I could say a word, she was up, heading for the door. She threw it open and –"Oi! Chopper~!"

"What's wrong?" Zoro was there first. He peered at me through the doorway.

"Robin's water –"

Zoro turned and placed his hands around his mouth –"OI! CHOPPER!"

Then he hurried to me, kneeling down by my side. "Are you in pain?"

I didn't have a chance to speak, as Chopper burst into the room.

"Franky –Coup de Burst!" Nami shouted behind the door. "Luffy –you –"

She was cut off as the door closed.

"Robin –"

"Water broke," I told him.

"Contractions?" he asked.

"They haven't felt any different than the others," I told him.

"To be safe, let's move you over to the –"

Nami popped her head in. "Warning –"

"Covered," Zoro told her –which was true. Since he'd heard her shout at Franky, he had me braced gently for the Coup de Burst.

Copper held on to one of the stools as gravity seemed to shift, wanting to fling us towards the stern as Sunny flew through the air. This was what we as nakama had agreed on. If we were fighting when I went into labor, we'd use Coup de Burst to get away. It was the quickest and easiest way. Otherwise, we seldom used it.

The ship landed, roughly. It'd been so long that I'd nearly forgotten how it felt. Neither Chopper nor Zoro said a word. I didn't speak either.

"Ah," I said, after a moment of silence.

"Another contraction?" Chopper asked.

I pressed against the underside of my belly, where it was hard, trying to edge the pain away. I nodded.

"We're clear!" Usopp poked his head into the room.

"Let's get her to the infirmary," Chopper said to Zoro, ignoring Usopp.

"Just ignore me then," Usopp muttered, holding the door open for us to pass through.

"Shut up, Usopp," Nami said from up above. "Infirmary's prepared, Chopper!"

Zoro looked at me, and I smiled as he helped me up the stairs. Go figure; I was the one about to go into labor, and _he_ was the one that was white as a sheet.

* * *

><p><em><span>Zoro<span>_

Robin went into labor fifteen hours ago.

This time, Chopper wouldn't let me sit with her there in the infirmary, forcing me to sit outside of the door with the rest of the crew. I leaned against the wall, right next to the door, looking at my nakama. Sanji perched slightly on the table, playing with his lighter as he debated going out for another cigarette. Luffy bounced slightly in his seat. Franky and Usopp were sleeping on the bench right next to each other. Brooke and Harumi sat silently, not knowing what else to do –it wasn't quite yet the moment for festivities such as music and drinks.

But soon.

Nami was in the infirmary with Robin, lending a helping hand. I don't know what she could do exactly. Pass Chopper… stuff, I guess. Every once in a while she would poke her head out to tell us how things were progressing, but that had stopped ages ago.

"I'm surprised you haven't taken a nap," Usopp said suddenly to me.

"I'm not tired," I mutter, not even sparing him a glance. Instead I stare at the floor in front of me, listening to the sounds on the other side of the door.

I took a deep breath as Robin's screaming filled the air. I wanted to leap in there, but I'd attempted that once before, and Nami had swiftly kicked me out.

"She's okay," Franky tried to reassure me. "She's in good hands."

"The best," Brooke chipped in.

"I think Zoro knows that better than anybody," Sanji muttered, getting to his feet, defeated with the idea of a cigarette.

"What does that mean, love-cook?" I snarled.

"Sleep on it, marimo," was all he called back.

If I could sleep, I would, but not while Robin was going through so much pain. And who could sleep through all that screaming any way. I would stay up as long as Robin stayed up –and that was that.

We sat there for an hour more, listening to Robin's screams. To distract me, I cleaned my swords. For the hundredth time.

"Yohoho! Those have to be the cleanest swords on the Grand Line," Brooke chuckled. "Not that my eyesight can be considered reliable! Yohoho."

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed in his sleep.

"If I were captain, we'd never hear another skull joke again," Usopp said wistfully.

"Yes, well, if you were captain, all of us would have jumped overboard long ago," Sanji sighed as he came back in. He looked around at us, then walked over to Harumi, who had dozed off and was positioned quite uncomfortably. "I'll move her to the ladies quarters."

We all only nodded.

"Don't do anything to her," Franky said as he neared the door.

Sanji just sighed as he left. We were all tired. We'd been up since early morning the previous day.

"Seventy-two," Usopp sighed as Robin let out another string of cusses. "She's sworn seventy two times. A hundred and twenty six individual words." A pause. "Hundred and twenty eight."

"Seventy-five," Luffy raised his head, "And a hundred-forty-one words."

"You were sleeping," Usopp said in his defense. "You must have dreamt the other three times."

"I was only resting my eyes," Luffy sighed, rolling his head down to the table again.

"Go to sleep if you're tired," Franky muttered.

"I want to see Robin's baby," Luffy whined like a child.

"If it's a boy, are you going to teach him to be a kick-ass swordsman?" Franky asked.

"Of course," I couldn't help but smile a little bit. The thought that had brought me through most of Robin's mood swings was the thought of being able to teach my son how to be a man. That, and the face that I loved her.

"That's super," Franky said, giving a robotic yawn.

"I'll teach him how to shoot," Usopp said happily.

"You're not going any where near my son," I told him.

"Why not?"

"You'll teach him how to lie," I growled.

"Hey –"

"Shh," I said suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone shut up. Silence. We waited a minute. Two. No screaming came.

"Do you think –?"

As if on cue, Nami opened the door slightly, slipping out and looking at me there on the ground. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand, and she smiled, "Go on in."

Everyone else made a move to get up.

"Just Zoro," Nami snapped at everybody.

"But Nami~," Luffy whined.

I got to my feet, placing on the doorknob as Nami walked towards Luffy.

"She's exhausted, let her rest. You can see the baby first thing in the morning," she was saying.

I took a deep breath, then entered the room.

Robin sat up on the bed, cradling our child in her arms. She smiled up at me, her hair plastered to her face with sweat. Chopper finished putting things away, then flashed a tired grin as he left the room.

She looked okay, despite all the yelling and screaming. I slowly let a smile slip onto my lips.

"Hey," she greeted as I came near.

"Hey," I replied, sitting down beside her on the bed. I placed a quick kiss on her temple, then looked down at the bundle in her arms. Through an opening in the folds of the blanket, a tiny face poked through.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Robin whispered, glancing up at me.

"She?"

A daughter –not a son.

"Want to hold your daughter?" she asked, speaking quietly. Before I could answer, she was already passing the bundle to me.

"How?" I asked, panicking slightly as I took the blanketed baby in my hands.

"Here," she adjusted my arms around the small creature, until I was cradling the baby comfortably. "Perfect."

"Perfect," I echoed, looking down at the tiny face. I couldn't help the tears that rose to my eyes. I can't describe the feeling –but it was overwhelming. It swelled inside of me, warming me all the way to my fingertips. A tear slipped over the edge, falling down my cheek all the way down to my chin. I would have wiped it away, but I was scared of moving my arms while holding our daughter.

But Robin's soft hands came up and gently wiped them away, and she placed a kiss on my cheek. I glanced at her, but she said nothing, only smiled gently –with so much love.

Love.

I'm an idiot –of course that's what this feeling was.

Love.

"Our beautiful baby girl," Robin yawned, leaning back onto the pillows behind her. "We need to think of a name, Zoro."

"A name for a girl," I repeated. All the names I had come up with were boy names.

The baby opened her eyes, revealing a beautiful brown colour, much like Robin's. My mind was instantly sent to one of the books Robin had read to me.

"Dartania," I said loudly, looking over at Robin, whose eyes were closed.

"D'Artagnan?" she repeated, opening her eyes lazily.

"Dartania," I repeated firmly.

She closed her eyes again. Robin was silent for a long time before smiling and nodding as she looked at me. "Dartania. I like it."

I smiled as I looked down at my precious daughter. My heart felt like it was in my throat. I swallowed hard.

"Can I show her to the crew?" I asked, glancing at Robin again.

She didn't reply. I heard a quiet snore escape her lips.

I got up, moving to the door carefully. Then, tentatively, I reached out with one hand and opened the door. Despite Nami trying to dismiss them to sleep, everybody was still in the kitchen –even Sanji had come back. Chopper had gone to bed, but Nami sat at the table beside Luffy, looking pissed off –exhausted, I'm sure.

"Is that the baby?" Usopp jumped to his feet.

"Shh," I closed the door silently. "Robin fell asleep."

"Did you name her?" Nami asked as Luffy leapt to her feet.

I nodded, grinning a little. "Dartania."

"D'Artagnan?" she asked, just like Robin. "Like –the musketeer?"

"What's a musketeer?" Luffy asked, peering over my shoulder. "I thought this was a baby."

"Never mind, Luffy," Nami was clearly too tired to bother explaining it to him.

"Not d'Artagnan," I told her. "Dartania."

"It's unique. And pretty. I like it," she said, smiling as she laid her head down on the table. Everyone else crowded me. "Good name."

"She's so small," Luffy murmured, hanging over my shoulder.

"She's a wee babe," Franky said, grinning when he saw her. "She looks a lot like Robin."

"She'll be quite the lady," Brooke agreed.

"She's beautiful –which is a surprise, coming from you, shitty swordsman," Sanji chuckled.

As they ooed and awed over her, it was clear to see Dartania's discomfort. She let out a small cry, and I didn't know what to do to make her stop.

"Everyone, back off," Nami sighed as she got up, pushing everyone away from me. "It's time to sleep."

"Yeah, yeah," they all muttered, shuffling towards the door, sparing another glance at my daughter.

"So I guess your plans of teaching your 'son' the ways of the sword kinda fell apart, huh?"

My thoughts flew to Kuina. "They didn't fall apart. They've just been altered."

Usopp looked at me questionably as he also moved towards the door.

"Instead of a great swordsman, I'll be training a great swordswoman."

And who knows…

Maybe one day she'll be a better blade-wielder than me.

Maybe.


End file.
